Abandoned
by bmo-galaxy
Summary: Kagome comes back to the feudal era to find herself abandoned by her friends. Deciding to go out on her own, she soon stumbles upon the stoic Lord of the West. Upon joining his 'pack', she realizes that he is not as cold and heartless as he seems.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own Inuyasha and all rights are reserved by Rumiko Takahashi._

The ground was damp and smelt of deep moss and water soaked into soil. It had been raining for days and only mere moments ago had the assaulting drops ceased fire. The leaves still dripped sparkling drops onto the forest ground, an orchestra of tinkles and drip-drops that pleased the silver Inu lord greatly. The quiet sounds of the forest calmed his frayed nerves and gave him a moment to contemplate and consider. As of late, his dilemma was his half-brother's wench. She had invaded his mind and clung there with a vengeance. Refusing to leave, he had spent every waking hour thinking of her. It gave the lord a pinching migraine that was even harder to ignore than the infuriating miko. Sighing heavily, he allowed his eyes to slide closed as he attempted to enjoy the moment of peace and silence.

The peace did not last long.

Off in the distance, he could hear the tell-tale twig-snapping and leave rustling sounds of someone approaching his person. He let his eyes remain closed as he lifted his nose to the wind and took a deep breath. Tasting the particles in the air, he internally cursed himself. Thinking of the girl had brought her near him. That undoubtedly meant that the idiot hanyou was somewhere near as well, this irked the lord more than the girl did. He took another sniff and was surprised to find the girl alone. Not even the small kit that she claimed as her own was with her. This surprised the lord of the West. Curiosity got the better of him and he remained seated. He wanted to know what the girl was doing alone and where her usual, annoying company was.

'_Once this Sesshoumaru has gotten the answers I want, I'll leave the girl just as she came." _

Somewhere deep in his mind, he had a stirring feeling that leaving the girl was easier thought than actually done. Again, a deep sigh.

She was just a few yards away when the lord finally let his eyes slide open. He turned his head slightly to look at the foliage she would emerge through intensely.

As if on cue, the girl pushed through the leaves of a nearby bush with an annoyed noise in the back of her throat. Upon seeing the demon lord seated casually by a tree, with the same cold look in his eyes as always, she let a quiet gasp slip through her slightly chapped lips. The surprise though was quickly followed by curiosity and the slightly hint of irritation. This further fueled Sesshoumaru's curiosity. What had he done that caused this girl to feel annoyance toward him?

'_Besides that I have tried to kill her lover many times and even threatened to kill her.' _The lord smirked at the memories almost fondly. A time when he could guiltlessly harm her sounded like a heaven now. His demon growled within him angrily and Sesshoumaru resisted his urge to touch the girl forcefully. First, he needed his answer.

"What are you doing travelling alone, miko?"

Kagome was surprised that he was the first to speak, even though his question irritated her. She didn't like to think about the reason she was now alone in the demon era. Huffing quietly, she shrugged off her backpack and let it thud to the ground. Rolling her shoulders in obvious relief, she fell into a criss-cross position a few feet from the icy lord and threw her damp, dripping hair over her shoulder and ringed the water out of it best she could. He was surprised by her closeness to him, but did not dislike it. He would analyze why this was later, now he needed to find out what the woman was doing alone.

"Inuyasha left me."

And awkward silence descended as Sesshoumaru waited for the girl to say more. As if feeling that he was expected more, Kagome took a deep breath and continued.

"I went home for a few days. I needed to get rid of my uniform and books," at this comment, the lord noticed her newer, much more practical, state of dress, "replacing them with a larger first aid kit and a few other provisions that come in handy. When I returned, I was told by Kaede that my _former _companions had left a few days earlier. She gave no information on where they were heading of why they had left without me. She offered that I go home and stay there, that this was out of my hands now. I refused. This is my fault, this battle is mine, I will continue on. So, I held strong and left the village a week and a half ago." As her story ended, she found that talking made her tired. After so long not speaking to hardly anyone, it tired her. She let her head loll to the side and lay on her bag in exhaustion as she thought.

"I don't even know where I'm going, what I'm looking for, or if I'll ever see them again." She paused.

"I don't know if I care if I ever see them again." There was such venom in her usually sweet, gentle voice. The demon found it oddly disturbing and wanted to change it. He was just at a loss of how to. The silence hung in the air again, a little more comfortable this time. Neither party felt the need to break it as they listened to the water drops hit the ground. It wasn't until the sun was beginning its descent into the horizon that the demon lord was inclined to speak.

"You will stay with this Sesshoumaru for the time being." Maybe if she was with him, he could decode the strange feelings and thoughts he'd been having revolving the girl. Then, he could find a place for her, or maybe even just leave her, and live out his life in peace away from her irritating mannerisms and odd behaviors.

"I'm what?" She was shocked by his words. She had been shocked when she had stumbled upon him on her lonely journey, but hearing this was the single most shocking thing she had ever heard. She never would have dreamed that the demon lord would offer her his company and protection for any amount of time. She contemplated what his ulterior motives could possibly be with this offer. After a few moments, she realized that there were none that made sense.

"_He doesn't need my jewel hunting powers; he has no use for the jewel. He is powerful enough to take Naraku down on his own and doesn't need me to track him because he can do that on his own as well. Perhaps a supervisor for Rin? No, that doesn't make sense either; she has Jaken to what after her. Agh! What could he possibly be thinking? Oh god, he's talking. What is he saying? God Kagome, pay attention!"_

Forcing herself to pay attention to the words of the demon of the West, she tried to understand what he wanted.

"You will accompany this Sesshoumaru for the time being. This is final," his words were cold and his eyes held no emotion. She was slightly disappointed that they didn't even hold a little warmth. She thought of his offer though and the idea of travelling with someone, no matter how quiet, did comfort her greatly.

"I would be honored to join you in your travels, Sesshoumaru-sama," she bowed her head toward him.

The lord of the West found that he did not like that she addressed him with such formality. He ignored this uneasy feeling and let his eyes fall shut.

"We will remain here for the night and depart tomorrow. In a short while, this Sesshoumaru will go and hunt for dinner for the both of us."

Kagome smiled at his unseeing face. He was being kind, for him. And she appreciated it greatly. After the week she had experienced, a little bit of kindness, however shown, was greatly appreciated. Nodding her approval, even though she knew he needed it not, she opened her pack and pulled out a couple of striking stones and a bottle of water. She also pulled out a slightly heavier coat and shrugged her shoulders into it. It was getting colder by the day and the night could be biting. She needed to gather sticks and woods for a fire. Standing, she debated whether or not to tell the lord where she was going. She always needed to tell Inuyasha where she was going when she wanted to go somewhere, something that irritated her to no end, and she wondered if his half-brother would be the same way. It couldn't hurt to tell him.

"I'll be back soon," she said quietly as she started toward the woods.

Sesshoumaru made a small noise of acknowledgment in the back of throat but stayed otherwise still and soundless. Accepting this as an okay to go ahead, Kagome continued into the forest and away from the silver lord. Being away from him gave her time with her thoughts freely as she absentmindedly picked up sticks and twigs as she went along.

He offered his company and protection when she had none, when her _friends_ had left her. The thought of them made her frown. She had made it seem as if she was angry about them leaving in front of the frigid lord. In truth, she was just upset. She hadn't seen it coming; there had been no warning of her friends abandoning her. At first, she was entirely shell shocked at their leaving her behind. Then, she was angry and hurt. She was still angry and hurt that they had just left her. She tried to shake the thoughts away; they only served to make her angry and emotional. And both those things would only make her vulnerable right now. While the demon lord had offered her company and protection, she didn't know how far that went. She doubted he would go out of his way to protect her tonight. Sighing, she realized she had plenty of wood the terrain was starting to look unfamiliar. Turning, she started back toward the camp when energy sizzled lightly over her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Kagome tensed and strained her very human hearing hard for any sign of something near. A demon was coming toward her and as soon as she realized it, she took off in a full sprint away from where she was standing. It was instantly in pursuit, right behind her in a few moments. Kagome could feel Sesshoumaru's energy in the distance and pushed her aching legs as hard as they would go, desperation and adrenaline giving her an unusual amount of energy. She was nearly there and relief spread through her when she burst into the camp.

Dread soon replaced relief.

Sesshoumaru was gone; he had gone to hunt while she had been looking for wood. Fear and anxiety filled her as the demon was seconds from her and she didn't know what to do and her mind was filling with too much. Turning, she looked around the camp and dove for her bag. Her bow and quiver where attached and as she ripped them from where she had tied them, white hot pain sliced through her upper back across her shoulder blades. She heard the sickening scrape of claw on bone as the tips made contact with the bones of her scapulae. She couldn't hold back the yelp of pain as she ducked low and turned quickly. Knocking an arrow instantly, she forced her reiki into the arrow. It glowed a dull hue of pink for a moment before it disappeared and was ready to be fired.

The demon chuckled at her resilience; she was a funny little human. He was ugly and covered in large, pus filled warts. Some popped and oozed the yellow liquid when he moved to circle her predatorily. Kagome held her breath and never let her eyes leave the hideous beast. Maybe if she could stall, Sesshoumaru would return… NO! She needed to be able to fight on her own. Raising her bow without a word, she waited until the demon was chuckling again and mid-step before she let the arrow fly with deadly accuracy. The horrid demon, caught off guard, only just barely dodged the arrow aimed at his chest. It tore mercilessly through the demons arm. Pus and blood sprayed all over the ground and the demon howled in rage and pain. Eyes bleeding a deathly red, Kagome didn't have enough time to knock another arrow before she was thrown into a nearby tree. Her sliced up back burned angrily as it scraped against the bark on the way down to the ground. With a thud and a groan, Kagome tried to blink the black from her eyes.

'_Get up and move!' _she ordered herself as she struggled to get to her feet and listened to the demon cackle at her efforts.

"It is over girl," it hissed, a promise in its voice as it crouched and leapt.

Kagome held her breath and closed her eyes, knowing what was coming. Her aura surrounded her in a barrier and held strong as the demon slashed at it the first few times. In the collision with the tree, her bow had fallen out of her reach. She looked around her body and found a stone in a matter of second. Knowing that this was her best option, she grabbed it and forced her reiki into it and after a moment of breath, prepared to drop her barrier. Before she had the chance though, a powerful aura ran through the clearing and the demon paused for a moment of disbelief.

Sesshoumaru could sense the fight moments after it began. At first, he had assumed that the miko could handle the fight on her own without his aid. However, upon smelling her blood, he felt his stomach knot in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable way. Seeking to ease this discomfort, he sped toward the camp. The faint smell of salamander demon hung in the air and the lord sped up. They were notorious playing with their food before they ate it.

Breaking into the clearing, Sesshoumaru assessed the situation in a split second. From the smell of the mike's blood, thick in the air, this demon was a nuisance that needed to be taken care of. Acid whip immediately out, he sliced through the demon's body effortlessly. It disintegrated in minutes and left only the lord and the miko in the quiet night clearing.

He looked at the miko, breathing hard against a tree. The smell of her blood swirled heavily in the air and made his stomach twist. He wondered how long this battle had taken, he had not been gone long and it had taken him less than a minute to return. Shaking his head, he walked over to her and stared at her coldly. Her barrier held strong around her and stopped him from getting any nearer than a few feet from her. It touched it lightly with is fingertip and hissed between his teeth when it burned him. She didn't look at him, just stared into nothing and tried to slow her breathing. He could sense that her powers were still strong and swimming in the air. Irritated by this, he called out her name sharply.

She jumped at the sound of her name and looked at him with wide eyes as she dropped the barrier and released the stone. He hadn't noticed it until it rolled lazily form her fierce grip. Slight scrapes on her hand from clenching it to tightly blossomed with little beads of blood that dripped slowly down her hand. He could still sense her powers singing within the rock and avoided touching it as he looked at her again.

"What happened miko? And what injuries do you sustain?" His voice was cold. She felt unwanted tears welling in her eyes and dripping down her dirty face. Sesshoumaru was unnerved by the tears and scowled.

"Answer me, miko."

Kagome swallowed harshly and slowly wiped the tears away before taking a shaky breath.

"I went farther than I thought I did, When I turned around, I felt a demon energy wash over me, I did the first thing I could and I ran. I ran as fast as I could, I… I thought if I made it here I'd be safe," she paused and lowered her head. _'You're here, so I thought….' _ She shook the thought away and continued, "But when I got here, you were gone and I did what I could. Before I could get my bow though, he sliced up my back. Once I got my bow, I shot an arrow and took off his arm. He got angry, red eye demon angry, and threw me into a tree. I made a barrier and was about to throw a reiki infused stone when…" she paused and looked at him with wide blue eyes filled with mesmerized look in her eyes, "You saved me." Her voice was small and warm. It soothed some of the tightness in his stomach and he almost smiled. Almost.

"I claimed you as part of my pack when I agreed for you to join me. I am obligated to protect you," his voice was flat and matter-of-fact. Yet that smile. It was bright and warm and it enveloped him. He was drowning in her smile and her eyes. He needed this to stop.

Stepping away from the miko, he glanced at the blood that had seeped through her clothing and into the tree. He frowned and without warning, picked her up and almost as soon as she was up and had gasped at the sudden closeness, she was back down. He had laid her gently on her stomach, wanting to look at the injury on her back.

It was not a pretty sight.

Covered in rough tree back and dark mud, the angry slashes were hued with light yellow. _'Poison.' _The three slashes all dripped blood infused poison slowly down the miko's sides, the middle on being the deepest. He could see the claw marks on the white of her bone.

He growled low in his throat and put his fingertips lightly against the wounds. Despite the gesture being soft, the sharp tips of his claws hurt. Kagome bit down hard on her bottom lip, refusing to cry out in pain. She was sure that would only serve to irritate the cold demon. The action did not go unnoticed by said lord and cold eyes appraised the girl quickly before concentrating back on his task. He let his own poison slip into the girl's body and felt her immediately go rigid and a small moan slipped through her lips. He had known that since she was a miko that this would hurt more. Taking no heed in her pain, he waited until the yellow hue disappeared. The poisons had neutralized each other and now her miko powers would have a chance to start working. Anything left in her body now would simply be purified.

Sitting back, the silver demon watched as her powers immediately went to work at the slow, but efficient task of knotting and sewing her skin back together. While it was faster than most humans, it was so slow compared to a demon's healing abilities. He was fascinated though as her muscles where knitted slowly back together and her skin lost its angry red tint.

The taiyoukai watched in strange curiosity as the girl made no effort to move, she just lay quietly on the ground with her head facing the opposite direction of his. He didn't like this, he wanted to see the emotions jump through her eyes and play over her face. He tried desperately to fight back the urge to talk to her.

And lost.

"Miko," his voice was void of cold and emptiness. He sounded exhausted. Kagome, with some effort, rolled her head to the side and stared at the demon. Tears were streaming down her face freely and her blue eyes reflected the intense pain she was in. There was also something else, something that took him longer to recognize than the other two.

It was need. A deep-seeded need for something shone bright in her eyes and made his insides tighten again. He frowned in displeasure. A part of him didn't want to see the miko in pain, while he knew that he should not care if the miko was in pain. This girl would be his undoing.

"What do you want, miko?"

Kagome tried to think of a way to explain what she needed. Really, she needed a lot of things. Right now though, she needed him to clean and wrap her wounds. Coughing, she looked at her bag and tried to point.

"In my bag, there are a few shirts on top of a white box. Bring me the white box. Also, there is a vessel of water, bring that too." Once she was finished, she coughed at the effort it took to breathe and get words out.

While Sesshoumaru didn't like being told what to do in such a rude way, he did as requested and fished out the water and strange box she had requested. Taking them to her, he waited until she told him what to do next.

Step by step, Kagome explained how the treatments in the first aid box worked. Slowly, but surely, her back was cleansed and the wounds properly bandaged. She also took two pain killers to help and reduce the pain. Once done with the bandaging, she sat up slowly and then stood. Retrieving her weapon and quiver, she threw them on her bag and pulled out some pajamas. Moving behind some bushes, she changed quickly and grabbed a few sticks as well. She had dropped all her wood and kindling running from the demon and the chill had set in.

Returning to her protector, she used her striking stone to start a small fire and sat close to it. Almost close enough to burn her.

Sesshoumaru watched all this silently. He was impressed that she had fought the demon as she had and been able to hold a barrier against his pure demonic strength. It impressed him even more that she had started a fire on her own. She continued to surprise him.

'_Maybe that is why she continued to plague my thoughts. I am simply curious of how many more ways she can surprise this Sesshoumaru.' _Accepting this answer, he continued to stare at the girl.

As if feeling his eyes on her, she lifted her head slowly and stared back at him. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion and a deep sorrow that he could not find the source of.

Seeing the curiosity in his eyes, she showed him what she wanted. She was cold and needed something warmer than this meager could offer her. As she stood to her feet, the silver taiyoukai watched her moves carefully. He had seen the full extent of her now trained powers and he did not wish to be purified. His eyes following her every move as she stopped a foot away from him and looked at him with the same pleading eyes. The orbs skipped to the area next to him and back to his face. He understood then, she wanted to sit next to him. Why, he did not know. He nodded his head in the slightest move that she barely saw. Another breath taking smile ripped across her soft face. His heart squeezed at the smile and he cursed himself again for this feeling her had towards the girl. This unknown feeling that continued to vex him.

Kagome sat next to him eagerly, immediately feeling the warmth that emanated off of him. Sighing in contentment, she leaned back carefully and sucked in a breath through her teeth when her back protected. Sleeping would be very difficult tonight. Sighing under her breath, she finally let her thoughts shift to her present situation as a whole. She was travelling with the feared lord of the West and her friends were nowhere to be seen. She frowned at a sudden thought, would the demon lord stay with her even now that she was injured?

Said lord could smell her emotions shift through her. It still stunned him at how fast they could go through emotions so quickly without confusing themselves. He half paid attention to her scent as she thought until a smell of panic and anxiety settled over her, with an undertone of concern. Confused about what had brought on this strange cocktail of emotions, he looked sideways at the girl without turning his head. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned her wide blue eyes at him and he almost winced. They were brimmed with panic.

"You… Am I still allowed to travel with you despite my injury?" Her voice was small and scared. She knew that the lord detested weakness and would refuse to let anything slow down his pursuit of Naraku. She doubted that he would accept having to slow his pace to accommodate her. She held her breath as she waited for her answer.

Sesshoumaru was shocked by her question, even though he would not let her see that. Did she really know nothing of Inu pack dynamics? He sighed in his mind and decided that now was as good a time as any to explain them to her.

"As I said before, I have accepted you into my pack. That means I am obligated to protect and offer shelter to you. Your injury does not change your status in my pack. They only way to be… discharged, I suppose you could say, from a pack are to perform an act of treason. You being injured is not an act of treason, thus you are still a part of this Sesshoumaru's pack," he said, his voice bored and flat as he continued to only look at her out of the corner of his eye. He watched as the girl digested this new information. He watched as understanding slowly replaced panic and the sharp smell left her usually calming scent.

'_When did this Sesshoumaru deem her scent as calming? Damn this ningen, she is changing this Sesshoumaru in ways I do not even notice.' _Suddenly, Sesshoumaru started to second think accepting her into his pack. He sighed and stopped looking at the girl.

"Sleep miko, we will rise early tomorrow and I do not wish to have to wait for you to awake."

The miko nodded through a quiet yawn and sunk further into her seated position until she was nearly lying down. The events of the day had drained all her energy and sleep seemed like a utopia. It took less than five minutes for her breathing to slow and her body to go limp. The demon lord looked at her full on now, his eyes running over her small body as she slept soundly. She had lost all her baby fat that she had carried previously, her body now more toned and lithe. These new clothes suited her far more, in the taiyoukai's opinion. They didn't make her look like a common brothel girl. Had she still been wearing them now, he would have forced her out of them and into more practical clothing. His eyes travelled to her slumbering face. It was more peaceful in sleep, losing the creases and frowns of the real world. He much preferred this to the tight look of pain in her eyes.

'_Why does this Sesshoumaru care if the ningen is in pain? I should not, her feelings should not matter. And yet…' _He didn't know how to finish that sentence. Despite his distaste for humans, and his hatred for his brother and all his company, he had accepted this human girl into his company and promised her protection. And despite all those other things, he found himself enjoying having the miko near him, a fact that perplexed him to no end. Why would he want the miko near him? Why would he _enjoy _the miko near him? He shook his head to shake the thoughts away and just looked at the girl.

Suddenly, her face contorted in pain and here breathing increased. First, it was fast, and then it cascaded into wild gasps for air. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and travelled in slow trails down her face.

'_She's having a night terror,' _the youkai realized. Rin behaved this same way when she experienced them in the night. It made him uneasy and he found himself wanting to comfort her so that the terror and pain in her scent would ease away. Reaching out a single arm slowly, he carefully moved her so that her head was resting on his knee and she was lying on her side. Perhaps the pain came from pressure on her injury.

Moments later, the pain was wiped from her face and peace returned to her smell as she nudged closer to the demon and took a deep breath. Almost smiling, the lord sighed and let his head rest back on the tree. He should probably get some rest too; caring for this onna was going to be a challenge.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun broke through the early morning clouds and set the forest a-sparkle. Rain and dew drops were like glitter thrown on everything as they shone brightly in the sunlight. Rays broke through the thick canopy of leaves and branches and lit up the miko's tired face. Grimacing against the light, she rolled over onto her back in an effort to escape the harsh beams. Pain shot through her entire upper body, her arms aching from her shoulders to the tips of her fingers. Desperate to escape the pain, she sat up and looked around the camp. Sesshoumaru was seated not far from her, his eyes closed and his legs crossed. He looked peaceful, almost like he was sleeping. Kagome found herself mesmerized as she stared at the strong curve of his jaw. His high cheek bones that were adorn with sleek magenta strips, two on each cheek. His mouth was relaxed and lips perfect. Kagome found herself drawn to him and before she could stop herself, she was walking toward him. He saw him tense as she approached, but relaxed after a moment. It was obvious that she wasn't a real threat with her injuries. Once she was within a few inches of him, she raised a hand and touched it to his cheek with the very tips of her fingers.

Sharp pain seized her wrist when she looked down and saw Sesshoumaru's hand holding it tightly. Not tightly enough to break it, but she knew that he could at any moment if he so wished. Eyes slowly opening, he stared at her with bored, cold eyes.

"What are you touching this Sesshoumaru?"

"I-I…" Kagome sputtered, unable to find an excuse as to why she had felt the insane urge to touch him. Pulling her hand back carefully, she was glad when the taiyoukai let it slide easily from his hand. Silence reigned over the two as they just stared at one enough. Slowly, Sesshoumaru rose from his seat by the tree and towered over her menacingly.

"Now that you are awake, we will depart. I must find my other companions," his tone left no room for argument as he breezed past her and walked toward the woods.

Kagome stood dead still, like a dear that knew a hunter was nearby, and tried to control her breathing. Slowly, she turned and almost robotically got her back ready with her bow and quiver once again attached to it. She pulled out a pair of pants and quickly yanked off her pajamas and pull on the dark blue jeans. Slipping her shoes back on, she checked that she had put the first aid and water back in her back before zipping it up. Heaving it onto her back, she cried out in pain and fell to her knees as she ripped the bag off her back and gasped for air. She could feel the wounds re-open and her blood seep through the wrappings and into her tee shirt. Sitting on her knees and trying to regain her breath and strength, she struggled to her feet and once again tried to lift the bag. A clawed hand grabbed it before she could and held it.

"I will carry this until we find Ah-Un, I do not wish to listen to you whimper and cry." He didn't hide his intense irritation well as he turned again and walked gracefully from the camp. Grateful not to have the heavy bag anymore, she jogged slowly to catch up. Falling in step with him, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her frayed nerves.

They walked for several hours in complete silence, Kagome tiring quickly as they went. They had to stop around midday so that she could regain her strength to continue going. From what Sesshoumaru had told her, they were looking for Rin and Jaken. The girl was excited to see the child that Sesshoumaru had claimed as his own.

Taking a long gulp of water, Kagome turned to look at the stoic lord.

"How far off are Jaken and Rin?" her voice was tired, and under it he could hear the pain her back was in. He stared ad her blankly and lifted his nose to the wind. Taking in a deep sniff, he sighed out the breath and looked to the West.

"We will meet them here; I will call for Ah-Un. Then, we shall return to my strong hold for now. The half-breed is plotting something and I feel it is in the pack's best interest that we return there before resuming out hunt," he explained as he released his youki in request for Ah-Un to come to him. He looked back at Kagome's face and was taken aback by the look of pure relief and gratitude there. Her face was bright with a smile and her eyes sparkled.

"Thank you! I had no idea you have a stronghold. Is it big? Like a castle?" She was happy and excited to not have to walk anymore, and the idea of a building that could possibly have a bath tub made her mood soar. Sesshoumaru could smell the sweet relief in her aura and made a small noise in the back of his throat.

"It is much like a castle, and very large. It's where I live when I am not hunting the hanyou. Many of my soldiers live there as well. It is in the middle of a small youkai settlement. The capitol of the western territory," he explained quietly. He didn't know what compelled him to answer her questions, or why he went to in depth. He ignored it and waited for the questions he knew were to come.

"What kinds of youkai all live there?" 

"The remaining Inu, some wolves that don't belong to Kouga's tribe, and some cat youkai all reside there. Others are permitted, but those are the most prominent species in the West."

Kagome nodded thoughtfully and tried to imagine it. It's just like a human village in her mind. She shrugged carefully and rose to her feet next to the small stream she was sitting next to. Walking over to him, she sunk down into a sitting position and leaned against a tree carefully. The walking had made her tired and her eye lids drooped as she basked in the warmth of the sun. The youkai glanced at her and decided to allow her to sleep, at least until his two headed dragon and other company arrived. It shouldn't take long now.

…..

Inuyasha grumbled angrily under his breath from his perch on a tree branch a few yards from camp. He hated having to camp for the night. It left his mind to wander and think about Kagome, which is exactly what he didn't want to do. He had convinced Sango and Miroku to come with him and leave her behind for her own good. At first, they had adamantly refused to leave their friend behind. However, the more they thought about it, the more sense it made for her to stop the fighting. She was not raised here and this was not her time, she should not be forced to continue to give up her life for them. So, they had left Kaede's village to seek out Kikyou's help. After all, they still needed to find the jewel shards.

The travelling had taken a one-eighty since Kagome had been replaced by the clay priestess. It was quiet and awkward, not even Shippou's chatter able to fill the void that Kagome had left. The nights were the worst. They all knew that the clay woman didn't sleep and in the night, even in their dreams, they could feel her lifeless eyes judging them endlessly. They awoke every morning under rested and cranky, making the travelling strained. Still, Inuyasha was sure that he did the right thing leaving Kagome behind. The fighting had become too dangerous for her and she just needed to go to her time and forget all about them and live a normal, happy life with her family.

Still, even he had to admit he missed her bright smile and happy chatting during their walking. Sighing, he let his ears droop a little and his eyes close.

Sango heard him sigh and glared back in his direction. Even though she had followed Inuyasha, she wasn't happy about leaving Kagome. She was actually starting to regret it. She missed having a girl to talk to and someone to take baths with. It was selfish though, to put the girl in danger just so the demon slayer could have some company. Shaking her head, she rolled over away from the group and tried to sleep.

Miroku glanced over to the woman he loved and frowned unhappily. He knew how much she missed her best friend and it hurt him to watch her suffer. He knew it was for the best though. Holding his staff close to his body, he let his eyes fall shut and leaned back against the tree he was again and tried to fall asleep.

They only one left awake was Kikyou. She watched the small fire dance for a time before she closed her cold dead eyes and rose slowly. Soul collectors surrounded her immediately, one dropping a small white soul into her chest. Breathing it in, she felt her strength grow in her chest. Turning toward the woods, she walked gracefully toward the tree line with frozen grace. Inuyasha watched her go and decided to let her, he knew that fighting her was no use and that she would just go. He sighed, more tired in that moment than he had ever been.

…

Kagome could sense it before Sesshoumaru could. She had awoken from her nap as the sun was beginning to set. While she had been asleep, Rin and Jaken had found their way to the group. With it getting late, Sesshoumaru had decided that they would stay the night there and head to the castle in the morning. He said they should arrive in a half days' time. Kagome was glad to hear that it was so close and had spent most of the afternoon picking flowers with Rin. Her back was healing at a steady, quick pace. Her miko powers were well at work knitting her body back together. She guessed that by tomorrow, or the day after, she would be able to carry her bag again without too much pain.

Sesshoumaru had enjoyed watching them play; he had always wanted a female influence in Rin's life. He would not have her growing up into a little barbarian. However, with the way that she was progressing it seemed like that might be what would happen.

'_Perhaps having the miko here is not such a bad thing,' _he mused as he closed his eyes and relaxed.

Now, Kagome could feel her soul calling to her in the woods across the field. Standing slowly, Rin stared at her concern.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Her voice was high with concern and worry.

Sesshoumaru heard this and looked at the girl curiously. Her scent had spiked in anxiety and fear, but also a strange overtone of sorrow. What had caused this sudden change in her mood? He was about to ask when he watched her start walking away from Rin and toward the forest. In the distance, he could smell the clay wench that his brother loved moving about the forest with her foul soul collectors trailing along with her. She had stopped for a moment and the lord could see her dead eyes peering through the leaves at the miko walking toward her. Sorrow was replaced with determination and angry as the miko continued toward the tree line.

"Jaken, watch Rin. If she is hurt, you are responsible." The obvious threat was strong in his voice as he masked his aura and rose to his feet. "Rin, stay with Jaken and keep quiet."

Rin only nodded and watched in concern as her lord followed after Kagome toward the forest.

Kagome didn't know what Kikyou wanted with her, but knew that it was important if she was calling to her. Stepping into the cool shade of forest, Kagome only had to take a few more steps until she was face to face with her former life.

Kikyou appraised her reincarnation with cold eyes and gave a dead smile.

"I see that you have betrayed Inuyasha in favor of his brother." Her voice was sickly sweet and made Kagome's insides tumble. A scowl took place of her dazed expression and Kagome tried to hold back the raw power buzzing in her fingertips, begging her to hurt the claw devil. She clenched her hands tight and offered a similar smile.

"Better than betraying him for Naraku," she said innocently, watching the smile fade and fury take its place on the cold woman's face.

"You're betraying everything a miko is, allying yourself with a filthy demon," Kikyou spat.

"You betrayed everything that loved you when you allied yourself with our half demon enemy!" Kagome threw right back, infuriating Kikyou further. Kagome, sensing that she had won this little word squabble, felt abruptly tired and her aura showed it.

"What do you want form me Kikyou? The rest of my soul, Inuyasha's love? I can't give you the first and you already have the second. You know as well as I that I gave up my love for him long ago. Our connection told you that. So, what could you possibly want from me?"

Kikyou was taken aback by her admission that she had stopped loving Inuyasha. It felt her off guard and suddenly, the clay priestess didn't know what she wanted from the girl. Taking a step back and attempting to regain her former fury, Kikyou scowled.

"I simply wanted to see if it was true, that you had truly sided with the youkai beast."

Kagome just sighed and turned around, exhausted by Kikyou's presence. Her soul yearned to be whole again and pulled against the cage of her body toward Kikyou, she could imagine Kikyou's half did the same thing.

"Goodbye Kikyou. Return to Inuyasha."

From in perch in the tree, Sesshoumaru watched this transaction with little interest. It wasn't until he felt his idiot half-brother's aura coming toward the little group that he tensed. A growl bubbled in his chest that he barely suppressed as he dropped to the ground beside Kagome silently.

"The half breed approaches with haste. I imagine that he caught your scent and felt my aura. If you do not wish to see him, I suggest we leave," he said stoically, ignoring the look of shock on her pale, moon lit face. She took in the information and tried to process it quickly. As much as she wanted to see her friends, the idea of just suddenly seeing Inuyasha, while she was with Sesshoumaru and Kikyou, set her nerves on edge. She knew though that she couldn't run from this and took a deep breath to steady herself.

"I'll stay; I need to face him eventually. I need answers," she turned and looked at Sesshoumaru carefully, "You don't have to stay; you can go back to camp if you want."

"This Sesshoumaru is well aware that I may leave whenever I see fit." Kagome just nodded, her voice suddenly lost when she heard the hanyou getting closer and closer to them.

Leaping into the space beside Kikyou, Inuyasha was almost floored by what he saw. The woman that he loved, who had stayed by his side this whole time, was standing next to his brother. He had smelt Kagome's scent and felt Sesshoumaru's aura, but he had been worried that his bastard brother was threatening Kagome and Kikyou. The shock of Kagome willingly standing next to him was too much for his brain to function.

"What the fuck Kagome! What are you doing with that asshole? And why do you smell like blood and poison? What are you doing here at all, we left you at the village. You were supposed to go home!"

Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was actually _angry _at her. As far as she was concerned she was the only one with the right to be angry. Her spiritual powers spiked dangerously as her angry grew. Her eyes lightened with power as she took a threatening step toward Inuyasha.

"You abandoned me. You left me to fend for myself. I smell of blood because I was attacked! And your 'asshole' brother was good enough to save me, unlike you. You think I can just let this go as if it isn't my fight? Like I could just go back home and forget it ever happened? Do you really think me so shallow?" Her voice got louder and louder as she spoke, ending in a threatening screech that pierced the brother's sensitive ears and caused the younger's to flatten against his head. What she put it that way… It made him sound like an ass.

"I-I, we did it to protect you," he offered weakly as he took a single step back toward Kikyou's side. She offered him no back up and simply stood impassively by and watched as the half demon handled the clearly upset miko.

"Leaving me to do this on my own was protecting me?" her voice rose the highest it could, cracking at the end. Sensing that her powers were getting out of hand, Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat as warning for her. It wasn't threatening, it was rather gentle. Kagome glanced back at him and took a deep breath. Inuyasha glared at his brother for a moment, but was distracted again as Kagome approached him. Ears flat again, he looked scared. As if she was going to hit him. She frowned and reached a hand out to him as he flinched.

Grabbing the beads that were around his neck, she pulled them sharply until they snapped and the beads rained all over the still slightly damp ground soundlessly. The entire forest in that moment was dead still and painfully silence. Inuyasha couldn't breathe suddenly and stared from Kagome's hurt blue eyes to the dark beads that now littered the floor.

"K-Kagome," Inuyasha started his voice broken and soft.

"Don't, Inuyasha. I don't want to hear it. I am no longer a part of your group. I have chosen to join Lord Sesshoumaru and you aren't going to force me back. Tell Miroku and Sango hello for me, along with Shippou and Kilala. I would love to see them but as of right now… I, I can't travel with you. Maybe, in the future I could. But not now. So, leave me. We are both after Naraku, I'm sure out paths will cross soon enough…" her heart was breaking. She was leaving her friends, her family. She knew that it was the right thing to do though. They had hurt her and she needed some time away, as hard as it was. Turning back to the demon lord, she nodded her head and slowly started toward the direction their camp was in. Sesshoumaru cast one, almost smug glance at Inuyasha before following after her.

Inuyasha was at a loss for words, he words not connecting in his mind. He'd been wrong. He shouldn't have left her, because now he had lost her. Lost her to his damn half-brother. Pain seized his heart with an iron grip and made it hard for him to breath. Swallowing harshly, he turned to Kikyou who was giving him an expected look. Nodding numbly, he looked once more at Kagome's retreating figure and sighed. She was gone and the only reminder of her was the beads scattered on the leafy forest floor. Part of him truly wanted to bend down and retrieve them all. He fought the urge and followed Kikyou back to camp. His ears laid flat against his head as he felt the look on her face haunt him and the betrayal in her eyes. Another long sigh slipped from his lips as he entered his camp and stared at Sango and Miroku's expectant expressions.

"Is everything alright, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked solemnly as he let his eyes slide closed once more. Inuyasha debated internally about what he was going to tell them.

"Nothing, Kikyou just needed to talk about something," he offered lamely as he jumped into a nearby tree and avoided eye contact with the houshi. They would just make a fuss if they knew that he had talked to Kagome, and even worse if they knew how upset Kagome was. They would want to go after her and that would take time out of finding the jewel. Nodding to himself, he tried to ignore the uneasy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. Already, he missed the warmth of his best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome found that it was disturbingly easy not to be upset over Inuyasha. Normally, she would be fuming and sobbing over the fact that he had left her and added Kikyou to their— _'His,'_ she reminded herself — group in her wake. Shaking her head, she tried to dispel the thoughts and appear happy as Rin approached with a flower crown in her hand.

Wordlessly, the little girl handed the miko the crown shyly before trotting back to the small fire that Jaken had made. The sun had set while Kagome had been gone and the night chill was setting in with a fury. Shaking under her light clothing, she considered putting more on.

'_Change my bandages first, and then put warmer clothes on,' _she decided with a small nod to herself. Looking to where Sesshoumaru had sat, she waited until he felt her eyes on her for her to speak.

"Will you… help me change my bandaging?" she asked, suddenly feeling shy under the scrutiny of the demon lord's eyes. Taking the slight movement of his head as a yes, she walked over to her bag and dug out the first aid stuff, a small washcloth, and a water bottle that was half full. Then, she stripped out of her shirt and blushed wildly as she sat in front of the icy demon, with her knees to her chest to hide her breasts from the toad demon sitting across the fire from her, and allowed him to cleanse her back.

The washcloth stung for a moment before she relaxed under his careful touch. In a matter of minutes, she was fully bandaged again and pulled her shirt and a sweatshirt over her head. Pulling the hood over her long black hair, she sat next to the fire and watched the flames dance quietly. This camp was so different from her own, not full of the noises of merriment and family; rather it was filled with silence and sometimes chattering from Rin. This sudden change in atmosphere is what made her most uncomfortable and sent an ache of loneliness through her chest. Suddenly, she desperately missed the little fox kit that she had claimed as her own and wondered how he was handling being in the group with Kikyou. Another pang, closer to her heart, brought small tears to the corners of her eyes. Bringing her knees to her chest, she hugged them tightly and put her face into them as she tried not to cry.

The demon lord could smell the salt wafting through the air and turned his amber eyes to the small miko. He hated it when humans cried. It was them shoving their weakness in his face and he found it disgusting. Strangely enough though, he found that this miko's tears bothered him in a whole other way. His youkai twitched and squirmed uncomfortably and demanded that he ease this pain that she was in. Clamping down hard control on the annoying beast, he growled low in his throat to get the girls attention. When she looked up and her watery blue eyes clashed with his deep golden ones, her breath hitched and she was sent into a whole new round of tears as she once again buried her face in her knees. He should have expected this from her. He had known that her anger was false the night that she had explained her situation to him. These tears were inevitable.

'_His eyes,' _she moaned in her head painfully. They reminded her so much of her half demon friend's. While yes, she had been telling the truth when she told Kikyou that she no longer loved Inuyasha, the attachment was still there. And upon seeing him replace her with Kikyou, the old wound had opened tenfold. This was the moment when she really needed to let him go and finally admit to herself that she no longer truly loved him.

She cried for another hour. Rin had attempted several times to cheer her up, only to have her Lord shake his head. After the fourth attempt, she had given up and simply patted Kagome's bowed head before she curled up near Ah-Un and fell into a deep slumber. Jaken fell asleep soon after Rin did, leaving on the demon lord and the miko still awake.

Raising her head, she stared into the fire with a tear streaked face and irritated red eyes. Rubbing them with a small cough, she took a deep breath and looked to Sesshoumaru.

"Sorry about all that… I was more upset about it than I thought," she said with a small voice as she scooted closer to the first. The demon lord merely stared at her, feeling no need to offer her a response. She had expected this and sighed as she put her hands over the fire and tried to warm them.

"Will you… Tell me more about your stronghold?" she asked offhandedly. He could hear the sleep creeping into her voice and nodded as a small yawn erupted form her mouth. As she walked over to her back to get her sleeping things, he started.

"It is a place called Nishi. It is the capital of the west, you could stay. My castle, as you called it, stands in the middle of it. The entire village is run by demons. They farm and they blacksmith and they provide for me and those I feel should be provided for. Rin and Jaken have been there many times. My army is also stationed there," he explained quietly.

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes.

"You have an army?" she blurted out, stupidly. A blush covered her face at the idiocy of her question and she flapped her hands in the air quickly. "I mean, of course you have an army. I mean, but, why haven't you ever used it against Naraku?"

As annoying as her mannerisms and actions were, a small part of Sesshoumaru found that he was glad that the girl was acting a little more normal.

'_Well, normal for her.' _

Sesshoumaru sighed about her question; Jaken had asked it plenty of times in their travels.

"This Sesshoumaru is responsible for my land and the people that choose to ally themselves with me. My soldiers most are young and brash. They would easily be taken mind and body by Naraku. I, as their leader of the West, must protect them and Nishi from the malicious half breed on my own."

Kagome nodded in understanding. It was a matter of pride and loyalty for him. He wanted to prove to his people that he was going to protect them.

'_Like he's protecting me now,'_ her mind thought suddenly, bringing a cranberry blush to her cool cheeks. Looking away from the demon lord, afraid he would read the thought from her eyes, stared into the fire again as sleepiness swept over her and she abruptly yawned again. Ignoring her suddenly embarrassed scent and the tint in her cheeks, Sesshoumaru leaned back and spoke."

"Sleep miko, we leave for Nishi tomorrow. "

Kagome could only manage a nod before black filled her vision and she floated into sleep.

….

Nightmares plagued Kagome all night; startling images of Naraku and Inuyasha, betrayal and death swirling in the air so thick that Kagome was sure she could taste it. She woke with a start just as the sun was rising over the mountains. Sweat had beaded on her forehead and she was shaking. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down as she stood on noodle legs. Walking over to her back, she pulled out a new pair of pants, underwear, a long sleeve and short sleeve shirt, and a wash cloth. Looking around, she was surprised when she didn't see Sesshoumaru where he had been when she fell asleep the night before. Shrugging, she walked toward the woods and listened carefully. There was the small babble of a brook nearby, causing Kagome to smile at her luck. Walking toward the sound, she found that she was oddly at peace. After crying all night and her short conversation with the icy demon lord, her soul was surprisingly calm.

She found that the lord was not nearly as bad as she had previously thought. She could tell by the way he looked at Rin as they had played yesterday. He truly cared about the little girl. A small smile graced the ebony haired girl's face as she pushed a branch aside and smiled at the clean water dribbling slowly across the land. Kneeling next to the water, she dipped her cloth in it and rung it out thoroughly before she rubbed it along her face. It soaked up the sweat and left her feeling clean and refreshed. Pulling off her shirt, she carefully washed off her stomach and the skin exposed on her shoulders. Waiting a few moments for her skin to dry, she pulled off her pants and underwear as well. Shuttering in the morning breeze, she quickly pulled on clean underwear and her new pair of jeans. Pulling her shoes on easily, she pulled on her long sleeve shirt and then the short sleeve. Feeling refreshed and clean, she sat on the bank of the water and listened to the sounds of the forest.

Sesshoumaru wasn't surprised when the girl was gone, he could easily sense that she had gone into the woods not long ago. Thinking it a good idea to follow her, he sat on a branch over her as she approached the water. He was glad, though he didn't know why, to see that she was feeling better this morning. Ignoring this feeling, he continued to watch as she knelt next to the stream and started to wash herself. Shock ran like electricity through him as he pulled off her shirt and then started to undo her pants. Finally, when she slipped off her under garments and he suddenly had a clear view at her all too nude body. Her skin was creamy, with goose bumps rising all over in the morning chill, and her shoulders were speckled with freckles from being in the sun too long. Her hips curved softly into a well-toned, flat tummy that led up to a decent size bosom that was currently covered by thick white bandaging. His molten eyes travelled back down to her hips as they connected to long, strong legs. He could see the little patch of curls that rested above her genitals between her legs and suddenly, arousal slammed into him like a truck.

Along with this suddenly strong arousal, came bitter disgust. He had never felt anything sexual toward a human and had promised himself that he never would. Yet here he was, peaking at a ningen wench and feeling a straining in his pants. Sneering at her unseeing form, he jumped back from the tree and went back to camp. The farther he got from her, the arousal went down and the disgust remained. He had been wrong; allowing the girl so close to him had been a mistake. Despite his strange thoughts and feelings toward her, despite the answers he wanted, the girl would only cause him trouble. Growling at his own stupidity, he tried to be angry at the girl.

He couldn't though. His beast was howling at him for trying and that only fueled his angry. He felt his youki rise dangerously and his eyes bleed pink. He had bound himself to the girl now and he had no choice but to be near her. His anger grew more sharply and he found himself frozen on the ground shaking in anger. He could feel the miko rushing toward him.

She had felt his spike in energy not far from where she was. She imagined that he was coming to find her to tell her that they were leaving immediately. Afraid that the rise in energy was him fighting, she had quickly gathered her things and run toward where she could feel him. He wasn't moving at all when she found him, his back to her.

"Sesshoumaru, are you okay? What happened?" she asked, slightly winded from running as she placed a hand on his upper arm and walked around to look at his face. She gasped quietly. His stripes were jagged and his eyes, however golden, were wild with anger.

"Remove your hand from this Sesshoumaru, mortal," he hissed, his logic pleased when she looked hurt and took a step back as if slapped. His beast growled threateningly at him and attempted to reach out to comfort the girl.

"Sesshoumaru…" she said quietly, trying to hide her hurt. She didn't know why she felt hurt in the first place. The only time she ever felt like this was before when she would spy upon Inuyasha and Kikyou. Then it was acceptable that she felt betrayed though, it made no sense now. Sesshoumaru didn't claim to love her and she didn't claim to love him, there was no justification for this feeling.

'_And yet…'_ Here she was feeling as if she had been hit. While he hadn't said he loved her, he'd said he would protect her. She struggled for words as she finally let her hand drop and she stared at the ground as his feet. She didn't know what she was expected to say. So, she didn't say anything and just waited.

Sesshoumaru was struggle between the strange feelings he had developed toward the girl and the intense rage he felt that she had managed to worm her way into his brain. He knew though that he was fighting a losing battle. The way her lip was trembling, the way her eyes wouldn't look at him, the very way she was standing made it impossible for him to be mad at her. Let alone hate her. His beast howled in delight and Sesshoumaru found his rage disappearing slowly. The tension left his hands and arms and his stripes slowly became sleek again. And he stood staring at her, exasperated and frustrated with himself.

"Miko," he said softly, wanting to get her attention. He wanted his beast to quiet down about how sad she looked. It was giving him a headache.

Looking up under her lashes slowly, Kagome couldn't help the relief that washed through her when she looked into his calm, molten eyes. She lifted her head slowly and stared at him. Again, the unbelievable urge to touch him shot through her and she found herself taking a step forward with her hand raised. Her fingers reached slowly and gentlly touched the collar of his shirt. Looking up at his face, she was surprised when he had his calm eyes closed. He trusted her. Taking advantage of this moment, she placed both hands on the side of his face and let her fingertips dance over his stripes and eyelids. They travelled back into his hair and ran through the soft locks slowly. They felt just as silky as they looked. Looking again to his face, another urge hit her. This one much stronger than the last. She realized she wanted to kiss him.

The shock of this realization sent her back into her senses and she pulled sharply away from the demon lord. His eyes snapped open and looked over her quickly for any sign of injury. Finding now, he was confused about why she was suddenly a foot from him with a stuttering heart and a mortified twinge to her scent. Quirking a brow at her, he ignored his beasts request to help her.

'_Allowing her to touch my persons was enough, you annoying beast. Leave me be. I care not how this human feels.' _ His tone was harsh with his inner youkai and he felt the beast grumble before drifting away into silence. Pleased to have his mind and actions his own again, he breezed past the girl quickly. Without turning, he spoke.

"Come girl, it is far past time for us to leave."

Kagome barely heard his words as her heart beat heard and her hands shook. She wanted to kiss him. That was wrong though. She had only just gotten over Inuyasha and now she was falling for his brother! That had to be some sort of betrayal. One far worse than leaving her behind. Besides, what was there to fall for? He was cold and mean, caring little how she felt and even less if she was in trouble.

'_But he protected you, he offered you company. He's taking you to his stronghold for safety,' _her mind argued, a devilish smile in the tone. Kagome couldn't argue with that, and besides… No! She shook her head quickly and clenched her fists. She was not going to do this. Turning, she jogged after the demon lord after gathering her things and walked silently behind him. So quietly that he had to check to make sure that she was still there.

Entering camp, Kagome smiled softly when Rin came running over to them and threw her arms around Kagome's legs.

"Kagome, you're back! I was afraid you were leaving Rin behind!" she cried happily as she grabbed the miko's hand and jumped up and down as she walked over to her bag. Throwing her dirty clothes and the washcloth in it, she zipped it closed easily and carefully pulled the bag onto her back. It still hurt, but she was glad to feel that the wounds didn't re-open this time and that the twinges of pain were bearable. Securing the bag carefully, she smiled to Rin as she little girl clambered onto the two headed dragon's back quickly. Jaken soon followed her and the little group headed west. The whole time, Kagome stared at Sesshoumaru's back, battling the strange urges that she couldn't explain.

….

Inuyasha woke slowly, not sure when he had fallen asleep. He looked down at the camp and was pleased that Miroku and Sango were up and about, getting ready to leave. Jumping down from the tree, he was shocked when Kilala was suddenly upon him, smelling him closely. After a moment, she hissed angrily at him as her fur stood on end. Sango, noticing the off behavior from the fire cat, called her over and looked at her in confusion. Shippou, curious as to what Kilala smelled at, hopped onto Inuyasha's shoulder and took a deep smell. A hurt gasp slipped from his small mouth and he glared hard at Inuyasha as he jumped over to Sango's shoulder.

"You were with Kagome last night!" he shrieked in accusation with a pointed finger. Sango and Miroku looked at one another in shock before looking at Inuyasha angrily.

"What is he talking about Inuyasha?" Miroku asked evenly, for the first time noticing the absence of his beads. Ignoring that fact for now, he waited for the hanyou to answer them. Inuyasha gaped like a fish as he struggled for words and looked to Kikyou for help. Finding none, he swallowed harshly and looked away from them.

"She didn't go home. She started travelling on her own and joined Sesshoumaru," he said really quietly. As an afterthought, he added, "She said she just can't travel with us now. Maybe in the future, but not now."

A painful silence filled the air and Shippou was the first to break it.

"I KNEW IT! I knew leaving her behind was a bad idea. You all told me that it was best for her and she'd be happier but you lied. You all lied!" He jumped away from Sango's shoulder and took off into the woods. Sango took a step to go after him but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Looking back at Miroku, he shook his head at her and gazed in the direction that Shippou ran off too.

"Just let him go, he won't listen to us now." Glancing at Inuyasha with a hint of disgust in his light violet eyes, the man sighed. "We should start moving."

Inuyasha just nodded as he walked over to help Kikyou up. She had been watching the entire encounter with cold, uncaring eyes. She allowed her frozen hand to slip into Inuyasha's warm one as he pulled her carefully to her feet. Her soul collectors hovered around her protectively. Inuyasha ignored them and held tight onto her hand as they walked. Normally, she would have pulled away from such intimate contact. It made her soul and body ache for life. However, she could sense Inuyasha's need for a connection and allowed her small hand to stay swallowed in his as they walked.

The travelling was silent and tense. The whole that Kagome left grew larger

….

Travelling with Sesshoumaru was awkward. Since their encounter in the woods, Kagome was caught between wanting to be close to him and wanting to be far away from him. She settled in the middle, walking ahead of Ah-Un, but behind Sesshoumaru. She found that this wasn't a good spot either. She could still look at him, watching, mesmerized, as his hair swung back and forth. Her body ached to reach out and run her fingers through it again, while her mind argued that it was insane to want such a thing.

Sesshoumaru was all too aware of what was running through her mind. Arousal and doubt mixed intoxicatingly in her scent and Sesshoumaru found it hard not to look back at her and see what the emotions looked like on her face, in her eyes. He denied the urge and continued walking forward.

The day continued like that, with Rin occasionally presenting Kagome with crowns of interlocking flowers. Kagome always smiled and accepted them, kneeling down so that Rin could place them gently down on her ebony locks. By the time that Nishi was on the horizon, a dozen or so crowns rested on Kagome's head. Sesshoumaru wondered what compelled her to continue to allow Rin to place more and more on her head.

'_She is a good mother. She will be a good mother to our pups,' _his demon said with softness and certainty. Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat, a warning to his demon to cease such fanciful thoughts. He glanced when Kagome lifted her head and looked at him curiously, her eyes holding a slight pang of uncertainty and almost pain. Sesshoumaru ignored it and ignored her question as they continued to walk. Nishi was close now and he sudden felt strange shot of homesickness. He often preferred to stay outside the castle, to be free to roam as he pleased, however now he just wished for the privacy of his room and his thoughts. Increasing his speed, he ignored his company as they struggled to keep up with him.

Kagome was confused. One minute he was looking at her with these molten eyes that drowned her and set her on fire all in the same breath, and then he was ignoring her for simply looking at him. It made her angry, but it also made her hurt. Which was even more confusing because she shouldn't be hurting at all. She shouldn't feel anything for Sesshoumaru.

'_And yet… I am,'_ she admitted to herself silently. She didn't know what it was, and she was scared to find out, but she knew that she felt something for the demon lord in front of her. And that scared her more than anything in the feudal era ever had.

She was just about to ask him when they would reach Nishi when an aura hit her like lightning. She stopped in her step and whipped to the right to stare into the forest with wide, frightened eyes. Sesshoumaru stopped to look at her and was about to demand what caused such strange behavior in the woman when she took off like a shot. She ran off the path they were on and ran straight toward the woods. Growling under his breath at her strange behavior, he turned to Jaken.

"Take Rin and AH-Un to Nishi; tell Hiyashi that I have arrived."

Jaken nodded and took off toward Nishi as Sesshoumaru followed the idiotic human girl.

Kagome's legs burned, she hadn't needed to run this fast since the day she had been attacked. Her lungs begged for her to stop, but her mind told her to continue. She needed to keep going. He needed her. She could feel the other auras now, malicious and teasing. She ran faster. It took her less than a minute to finally break into the clearing where she found him immediately, curled up in a little ball in the middle of a small group of young bear youkai. They were all bigger than she was, but not by much. Her anger rose immediately and her reiki pushed forcefully against their youkai. They all flinched at the magnitude of her power, but held strong and sneered at her.

"Back. Away. From. My. Son." She said; her voice low and a growl at the back of her throat. In the back of her mind, she realized Sesshoumaru would be proud of the noise she was able to produce. Ignoring the thought, she brought her spiritual powers to her fingertips and shot little zaps at the bear youth, giving them a taste of what she could do to them. Fear was easily read on their face and in their eye as they looked to one another and took off into the woods. Kagome stood still for a moment and made sure they were gone before she reined her powers into her body and approached Shippou.

Kneeling a few feet from him, she offered a soft smile and spread her arms open. He sniffled for a moment, wiping the dirt from his face before he ran into his mother's arms. Large tears leaked down his face as she held him tightly.

"I'm sorry! I-Inuyasha made us leave you. B-B-But I didn't want to. I came to find you when they attacked me. I tried to fight them, but they were so big. I missed you, I didn't want to leave!" he was sobbing broken sobs and Kagome really only caught half the things he said. She had sensed Sesshoumaru's approach but chose to ignore it as she ran her fingers through his matted hair and rocked him gently.

"Shh, baby, shh. It's okay. I'm not mad at you, not at all. You can stay with me now, I promise," she said softly as she looked up to meet Sesshoumaru's eyes. She knew it was not her place to promise that, but she knew that Sesshoumaru wouldn't deny her this. His slight nod assured her of this. Standing with Shippou in her arms, she walked toward Sesshoumaru. He watched her approach and found that his previous anger at her stupidity vanished. Seeing her holding the kit so fondly, his beast stirred to life again.

'_Good mother,'_ he commented quickly, disappearing before the lord could growl at him. She was looking at him with pleading eyes. He simply nodded at her and was taken aback by her breath taking smile. His beast was over joyed at it and suddenly, Sesshoumaru no longer had control of his body. His clawed hand reached up slowly and touched her cheek gently, just as she had done to him the first night they had been together. She was shocked by his hand suddenly on her face and gasped gently. Her eyes swam in his and one of her hands reached up to put itself over his. Time froze and all they could do was stare at each other. Time ticked though and even they could not escape it.

Sesshoumaru was the first to regain his control. He slowly pulled his hand back, ignoring the pang of disappointment it brought to have to stop touching her. Still staring at her, he watched as her own hand fall and she just stared at him.

"I will carry you and the kit to Nishi, I wish to get their quickly," he said quietly, his baritone voice strangely gentle. Her mouth not working, she merely nodded and looked down to give Shippou a reassuring smile. She could tell that the demon lord put the boy on edge.

"He's going to protect us Shippou, do not fear."

Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around her waist and took the sky. He tightened his hold on her as she let out a short, quiet scream of terror.

"Calm yourself, miko. This Sesshoumaru will not let you fall," he said, his voice strong. She found odd comfort in it and leaned against him, trying to relax. The flight was not long, no more than ten minutes. He lowered them to the ground slowly and they landed just outside the large gates to Nishi. Releasing the miko, he beckoned for her to follow him. They walked into the stronghold and Kagome was taken aback. It was large, much larger than she thought it would be, and everywhere there were demons. Men, women, children; all working and playing and living life just as a ningen village would. They stopped with smiles and bowed to their lord as he passed, and eyed her and Shippou with curious, yet not hostile eyes. The children would flock around her and look at her strange, bright blue eyes. Blue eyes were very uncommon among demons and the children would fascinated by it. The smiled and played, and as they laughed she felt Shippou relax in her hold.

After a short walk, they went through another gate, into the castle grounds now. Soldiers stood at the sides and bowed to their lord as he walked back. They, as opposed to the demons of the village, eyed her with mistrust. She shrunk at the look and stuck close to Sesshoumaru. She didn't want to know what would happen if she were caught by them alone. As they walked through the grounds toward the castle, Kagome looked upon soldiers training and nicely dressed women sitting on huge cushions under shades of trees. In a small garden, demonesses in simply kimonos bent with baskets and gathered herbs. Kagome assumed they were healers. Looking back to Sesshoumaru's back, she peaked around it at the demon approaching them. He had strikingly long silver hair that hung almost to his knees that was braided. His bright orange eyes had Kagome leaning toward him being a dog demon as well, his eyes just being brighter. She watched him carefully and felt herself tense as he approached. She didn't know if he was a threat of some sort. She looked to Sesshoumaru with wide eyes and was shocked when his aura was suddenly very relaxed.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, my boy, it's good to have you back. We weren't expecting you so soon. Rin and Jaken informed me that you would be here soon," the man started with a large friendly smile as he looked around Sesshoumaru and eyed her curiously. "And who is this pretty little thing you have brought with you?" His large smile put her at ease.

"Higurashi Kagome, sir," she said with a bow, "And this is my son, Shippou."

The man appraised them with warm eyes and an open smile.

"Well, Kagome, it's very nice to make your acquaintance. I must say, it's a surprise to see my lord bring such a beautiful girl home," he teased gently, enjoying watching a blush spread over her cheeks. Sesshoumaru growled lightly and looked at Kagome.

"Come, I will show you to your room. I suggest washing up and changing into more appropriate clothing. We will have dinner shortly. Afterword, we will discuss the plans about the pursuit of the hanyou," he paused and thought for a moment, "Plan on staying here for some time though."

Kagome could do little more than nod as she followed him into the castle. It was huge and as she was led through twisting hallways, she found it was impossible to tell in which direction she was going. Giving up, she just let herself be lead. Soon, they came to a door that Sesshoumaru stopped at.

"This is the kitsune's room. Rin's is just across the hall," he explained as he pointed to the room on the other side of the hall. Kagome nodded and let Shippou down.

"Go into your room and clean up sweetheart, Rin will take you down to dinner soon, okay?" Shippou nodded at her words and entered the room slowly. The miko watched and sighed as she turned and was led again. Not soon after, she was stopped again by a different door.

"This is your room miko."

Entering the room after Sesshoumaru, it was all she could do not to gasp. It was one of the most luxurious rooms she had ever been in. A futon was laid out in the middle of the room against the wall, with a low table near it that had a candle and a basin of water on it. In the very center of the room, a low tea table with a large candle was placed with large cushions surrounding it. On the far wall was a vanity and mirror, a set of combs and face paints and lip stains set on it. There was a shoji door to the immediate left of the mirror and Sesshoumaru said that it was a private bath. To the right of the mirror, a few feet away, was another set of heavier doors. Through it, she was told there was a small garden for her pleasure. There was one last door and as she walked toward it, Sesshoumaru explained what it was.

"That door leads to this Sesshoumaru's room."

Kagome froze and looked back at him. His face was unreadable and for a moment, Kagome didn't really know why she was so shocked to hear this. Of course he wanted to keep her close. He probably didn't totally trust her yet. She knew this was a lie though, and that she was just trying to calm herself. Nodding, she looked around the room again and took a deep breath.

"I'll wash and change. Will you wait and escort me to dinner, or…" She didn't know how else should would find a way through the maze of the castle. He nodded once and walked past her to the door that connected there rooms.

"Be ready in half an hour, girl." The door was shut and she was suddenly alone.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome looked around the room one more time and noticed something she had overlooked. On the other side of the door to the bathroom, to the left, there was a large trunk. Walking over to it curiously, she pulled it open with a grunt and found clothes. Everything from simple sleep wears to kimonos so elegant that she was afraid to touch them. Digging carefully, she found a simple, two layer kimono and matching tie. The first layer was a simple white, and was covered by a deep burnt orange over layer. White over lapping gingko leaf patterns adorns the bottom hem and the ends of the sleeves. The tie was an off cream with a small orange gingko leaf sewn into the end. Holding them carefully, she let the trunk lid fall shut as she walked over to the bathing area. Pulling the door open, she was blasted gently with a wave of hot air and steam. Nearly moaning, she dropped her clothes and stripped quickly.

She spent almost ten minutes in the luxurious water before she washed her hair and climbed out of the water. Wrapping herself in a soft towel, she walked back to her room and gathered the forgotten kimono. Drying quickly, she shrugged into the simple white layer quickly before she walked over to the vanity. Picking up a comb, she combed gently through her hair until it hung straight and untangled. Grabbing a set of hairpins, she pulled it up into a messy bun and pinned it there. Walking back to the outer layer of her kimono, she pulled it on and tied the tie tightly. Confident that she was ready for dinner, she walked over to Sesshoumaru's connecting door and stopped, nervous for a moment. Raising a hand, she knocked against the wood softly.

"Enter miko," his voice came through softly. She took a deep breath before pushing the door open and entering quietly. Sesshoumaru was dressed and standing in the middle of the room. His armor had been abandoned and she could tell that he had changed as well. Blushing slightly, she felt his eyes going over her body. When she peaked up at him, he nodded his approval and motioned for her to follow him. Nodding back, she followed him out of the room and down to dinner.

Dinner passed by uneventfully. Rin and Shippou immediately got along, much to Kagome's relief. At least her son would not be alone here. Once dinner was completely, Sesshoumaru ordered for Jaken to take the children up to bed. Jaken only grumbled for a moment before he took the bonding children to their rooms. Kagome could hear them begging him to read them a story even before they were out of the room. The dining hall was silent for a few moments before Sesshoumaru rose and looked at Kagome expectantly. He led her out of the room and down an unfamiliar hallway. They only walked for a few minutes before Sesshoumaru opened a door and allowed Kagome in. It was a simply furnished study with a few bookcases of scrolls and simple books, as well as a low desk with writing implements and parchment. A cushion was in front of the desk and Kagome sunk into it immediately. Sesshoumaru circled the desk to stand near the window. Outside, he could see the garden that Rin liked to frequent. With fall setting in, the roses were beginning to wilt. The child would be sad. Ignoring the thought, Sesshoumaru sat at the desk and eyed the miko.

"We will stay here for a time. I wish to oversee some of the training of my army, and Ah-Un, Jaken, and Rin need to rest. I, also, need to rest. You and the kit are to stay here with me. You are permitted into the town to converse with the demon there if you wish, but you may not leave Nishi," he explained, his tone possessive as he looked down at some of the documents. Most were from the other houses, speaking of the fast approaching New Year. Celebrations irked the demon lord so he chose to ignore them for the time being. He looked, instead, at the miko and watched curiously as her anger rose.

"You don't own me Sesshoumaru, I can leave if I so choose," she said in frustration as her hands clenched and she stared at him. He raised a brow at her insolence and let his youki flare in warning.

"You will listen to this Sesshoumaru," he said in warning as he looked down again, as if dismissing her.

"I will not! You do not own me Sesshoumaru. I am my own person and I will do as I please!" she said, loudly. Sesshoumaru twitched in anger and his hands itched to hit her. His beast growled at him for such a thought and Sesshoumaru glared at her.

"You will not speak that way to this Sesshoumaru, woman." His voice was a growl deep in his throat.

Kagome sneered and stood as her powers shook in her hands.

"And you will not speak to me as if you own me. If I choose to leave Nishi, I will."

Sesshoumaru stood and was over the desk with his hand around her throat in an instant. Before she could even take a breath. He growled at her in warning, however, she could tell the growl was not a simple threat. She still glared though.

"You will not handle me in anger Lord Sesshoumaru," she said icily, noticing how his eyes flickered uncertainly when she used his full title. He dropped her and took a step away from her. Walking back to the window, he didn't face her as he spoke.

"I do not wish to fight with you, miko. My intentions behind keeping you in Nishi are for your own protection. I will not have one of my pact leaving my protection," he said, quietly. He didn't know why he was explained himself to this girl, she did not deserve it. She had yelled at him and disrespected him. He could tell though, that was just how she was. She needed to have things explained to her. She was not like the girls of this era; she would not just mindlessly listen to him.

'_And that's why we like her so much,"_ his beast said with a soft voice. He simply sighed, too tired to fight with his demon right now.

His voice was still husky from the growl, but Kagome could tell that he was just trying to show her why he did what he did. Feeling her anger soften, she just smiled and nodded.

"I'll stay in Nishi, Sesshoumaru. For now though, I need sleep. My back still hasn't healed and I need rest," she said quietly as she bowed and as she straightened, she looked at his back. She found that she wanted to touch him again. She fought the urge though; she had already lived through yelling at him, she didn't think she would survive through touching him. She smiled softly though and turned to leave.

"Goodnight, Kagome," he said, so softly she almost didn't catch it.

"Goodnight, Sesshoumaru."


	4. Chapter 4

Naraku growled in frustration as he stared into Kanna's mirror as the miko wandered the safe grounds of Sesshoumaru's palace. When he had been informed that she had been left alone, he had thought a gift had fallen from heaven to him. Now, he watched with irritation as she laughed, smiled, and was generally happy. He didn't wanted to see her happy, he wanted to see her begging him for mercy, pleading for her life. Anger overtook him and he clutched the almost complete jewel in his hand tightly. A slight smile graced his features when he listened to Midoriko scream from its depths. Her never resting soul was tortured by the blood and taint he brought to the jewel. Satisfied with at least her suffering, Naraku looked to Kanna with cold eyes.

"What can we do to bring out precious little flower a good dose of misery?" he asked casually as he rolled the jewel between his fingers. Kanna closed her eyes and pulled her mirror close to her body. After a moment of silence, Kanna extended the mirror to show Naraku the future that he could create.

In the reflection, a young wolf demon was sneaking through a crack in a large stone wall. The stone wall surrounding Nishi's castle. She was running toward the river and from across the river, Naraku saw a half demon smiling at her broadly. She smiled back. The image disappeared and the same girl appeared again, this time wringing out laundry and clipping it to a line. Out of the corner of the mirror's frame, Naraku could see Kagome smiling and laughing with her. Again, the image disappeared only to have a new one resurface. Naraku recognized a jewel shard in the woman's back, her eyes void of feeling as she brought a knife over her head and thrust it down toward the cowering figures of two children in the castle. The images washed away and left only the blankness of black in the mirror as Kanna stepped back.

Naraku chuckled, but soon the chuckle turned into a full blown laugh that boomed through his castle and shook his servants to their cores. They knew that laugh, pain was promised after that laugh. Flinched, they all hurried to continue what they were doing. None of them wanted to be the one that laugh was pointed at.

Pinching the jewel carefully, Naraku pulled off a small shard and pricked his finger with it. He watched with sick satisfaction as his blood coated the shard and sent Midoriko into wordless shrieks inside her jewel prison. Looking to the corner of the room, he noted Kagura and Kohaku sitting close to one another. Smirking, he flicked the shard to Kagura, who caught it easily and stared at Naraku with a raised brow.

"You know what to do with it, take Kanna with you. However, give our little princess time to settle in and get comfortable. Once she is, Kanna will show you when the girl is going to be outside the walls," he said with a smile as he touched Kanna's back lightly and pushed her gently in Kagura's direction. Kagura sneered at being bossed around and ripped a feather from her hair. Tossing it out the nearby window, she grabbed Kanna and leapt onto it immediately, in a hurry to be out of the miasma dungeon. Naraku watched as they took off with a strange smirk, one that promised pain and misery. He chuckled once more softly before retreating back into the depths of his palace.

….

Kagome stretched as the bright morning sun lit her face and brightened her smile. She made a soft grunting noise as muscle stretched and joints popped.

"That was the best night's sleep I've had in a long time," she groaned happily as she looked at her futon and touched it lightly. Suddenly, a flash of her bed at home hit her and her mood fell. She missed her mom and family dearly, but she knew that as long as she was with Sesshoumaru, she wouldn't be able to go home as much. At least, not without him escorting her there and a long journey with only Sesshoumaru wasn't what she needed now with these feelings she couldn't explain. A blush colored her cheeks delicately as she thought of the couple of rather intimate moments they'd had since they had joined each other's company. She also couldn't ignore the slight twinge of sadness that came with the realization that they hadn't had any since making it to Nishi.

"Then again, I've hardly seen Sesshoumaru since making it here," she said with a little huff in her voice and small hint of bitterness. Shaking her head to dispel the embarrassing, angry thoughts, she stood on bare feet and stretched up onto her tip toes one more time before sighing contently and starting the day. She stripped out of her sleeping yukata and bathed quickly, only taking the time to really wash her hair. Upon stepping out of the bath, she toweled off and picked out her kimono for the day. Picking a simple, two layers one again, she settled on a deep, earthy brown with large orange and green maple leaves scattered over the front, with a matching cream under layer. Pulling it all on, she tied the obi tightly and continued to comb her hair before tying it back in a braid.

"My hair is getting long," she commented quietly to herself as she touched her bangs and pushed them out of her eyes. Smiling at her reflection, she deemed herself ready for the day and walked out of her room.

However, upon closing the door, she realized she had no idea what she was to do while she resided at Nishi. She had been there almost a month and was blending into the stronghold life very easily. She still had not left the castle grounds, she was nervous about trying to re-enter with the guards at the gate. Their looks still echoed in her head and sent a long shiver down her spine. Deciding to first get something to eat, she headed in the direction she thought the dining hall might be in. On her way, she thought about what she had done while in the Western capital.

"Well, I helped gather herbs before winter sets in. I trained a little with my bow and I've meditated. Oh! And I've played with Rin and Shippou," she mused out loud to herself as she rounded a corner and spotted a familiar face. A smile broke out on her lips as she waved at the small wolf youkai and jogged over to her.

"You-chan! It's so good to see you again," Kagome said earnestly as she smiled at the girl. They had met her first official day here, while the little demoness had been folding laundry. Kagome offered to help the girl and the two sat for an hour chatting and laughing as they folded sheets. The entire time, Kagome could feel Sesshoumaru's eyes on her, but whenever and where ever she looked, she never caught him. Mentally slapping the images out of her head, Kagome tried to concentrate on what her friend was saying.

"Oh, Kagome, hi. It's good to see you too. Where are you off to this early in the morning?" the little ookami asked shyly as she smiled and shifted the basket of laundry she was holding to her hip. Kagome motioned to take it from her, but You-chan side stepped her and her smile widened. Letting her have this one, Kagome laughed as she began to walk with the demon.

"I was heading to breakfast and then I might go and train a little," she said, her tone bored as she thought of the place she really wanted to train. On the far side of the court yard that they had entered in, next to the herb garden she had spent the last two days in, was a large dojo. Kagome had peaked inside and watched as soldiers spared. They covered everything from hand to hand, to sword place, to obscure weaponry that Kagome hardly recognized. Since that day, Kagome had been itching to go in and ask to practice with them. She had extensive practice with hand to hand that various village mikos and Miroku had taught her in case her bow was gone, and absolutely no sword experience. She remembered the times she had begged Inuyasha to teach her to wield a sword with a pang of sadness. Sango had always promised to teach her, but the hunt for Naraku came first and they hadn't gotten the time to actually train. Thinking of her friends now made her lonely, the anger and hurt at their abandonment had faded into an ache of loneliness and worry. Feeling tears threaten her eyes, she shoved the thoughts away harshly and quickly pretended a yawn to pass off the tears. Wiping her eyes she looked to You-chan with a half-smile.

"This is me," she said as she pointed at the dining hall. She waved at her friend and walked slowly to the door. Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open and couldn't help the dumb smile that overtook her features when she spied who was sitting at the end of the table.

Sesshoumaru raised a snowy brow as he watched the miko's face light up and her beast sang in his head. Ignoring the annoying voice, he motioned for the girl to sit and tried to forget the way that smile made him feel. Watching her practically skip to her seat, he found that it didn't irritate him the way that it would with anyone else. It was just part of Kagome.

'_A ningen woman I am slowly starting to accept,'_ he found himself saying silently. Taken aback by the mere thought, he looked away from the girl and back to the documents in front of him. He had to admit, at least to himself, that he was not at that table for breakfast. He should be working and could have a servant bring him his food. After only seeing her no more than a handful of times in a month, the lord found that he had a deep seeded craving to see the miko again. To hear her voice and see her smile and smell her scent when it was fresh and coming off her in the moment. Pushing these thoughts away, he watched out of the corner of his eyes as she got food and ate happily. He was surprised at her silence though and found it disturbing; he was so used to her talking that it was odd to see her mouth shut.

'_One day that mouth will be wide open, screaming out name in climax,'_ his beast said joyfully. Sesshoumaru growled so quietly that Kagome was sure she imagined it. Glancing up at him, she felt her heart stutter and her hands shake ever so slightly. Since when had he had this power over her, to drop her into a crushing teenager? Sighing softly, she looked back down at her food and tried to concentrate on her miso soup.

Sesshoumaru found this silly onna more and more strange. One minute she was so bubbly and happy that it made him ill, the next she's embarrassed by some unknown factor that made her heart race and her hands tremble, and now she looked like she had lost hope in something.

'_Confusing ningen women, how do they keep track of all these emotions without getting confused?"_ the ice lord wondered as he continued to pretend to read the plans in front of him. Unknown to the miko, he had held an ulterior motive for returning to the castle when he did.

The meeting of the Four Houses was fast approaching and it had fallen on Sesshoumaru to host this meeting. He growled under his breath again as he thought of the tedious work that had to go into the meeting. It was a three part occasion. First, the grand meeting took place where problems with borders and goods were discussed, along with marriages between houses and alliances. The second, a friendly festival that hosted merchants from all of Nishi to sell their goods to the visitors from the other houses, this ended with a short sparing round amongst the houses. Each house was permitted to elect two people to fight, and a panel of judges and referee were chosen at random. The third day was an elegant ball. This year, Sesshoumaru was expected to announce his pack and his potential future mate, for this last year he had celebrated his one thousandth birthday. He sighed again at the obnoxious work and wondered for the umpteenth time why he had taken the position as Lord. Already knowing the answer, he rolled up the scroll and stood silently. Looking once at the girl, she could tell his eyes said follow me. Finishing her last bite and taking a last sip of water, before standing and scurrying after him. They walked in silence all the way to Sesshoumaru's study.

Feeling comfortable in this space, she threw herself with little grace onto the cushions on the floor and tried to find a comfortable way to sit before looking at an expecting Sesshoumaru. He had a brow raised and sighed at her antics.

"Are you incapable of showing the least amount of grace, miko?" he asked, his voice losing its cold overtone. She smiled at him unforgivingly and adjusted one more time before settling in and smirking at him. He sighed again and stood by the window and stared out at Rin playing gleefully in the fields with the miko's fox kit. He felt a tug at his lips and ignored it as he turned to his desk and sunk onto his own cushion.

"I have news for you, miko."

"Kagome," she said abruptly, her tone annoyed. Sesshoumaru looked at her with a slightly raised brow.

"I am aware of your name, onna," he said, his tone matching hers almost perfectly. Kagome glared at him and clenched her fists.

"Will you please use it then?" she asked as politely as she was able, even though the annoyed undertone seeped through. Sesshoumaru felt his ire rising slightly, wondering why this girl thought that she earned such a thing. He sneered slightly at her and looked away.

"Regardless, there is news," he continued, feeling no urge to argue with her right now. She relaxed slightly as she prepared to listen to him. Seeing that he had her attention, he sighed and wondered where to begin.

"There is another reason I have chosen to return to my home when I did," he started slowly as he watched Rin force a crown of flowers onto Jaken's head.

"Oh?" Kagome asked, not sure where he was going with this.

"There is to be a great… Meeting, soon. The other three houses will meet here and the Great Meeting will commence over a five day period. The first day, the other houses shall arrive. The second day shall be the grand meeting when the problems of the houses are discussed. The third, a festival and sparing tournament, merchants from Nishi's city will sell their wares to the other houses; this is followed by a tournament between the houses. The fourth day is an elegant ball; at this ball I will announce you and Rin as a part of my pack. I am also obligated to announce a future mate. And the final day, the houses will leave." Sesshoumaru paused and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

Kagome tried to soak in all that he had said. The fact that the other houses were going to be there was enough to take in, but he was officially going to announce her as a part of his pack? And he had to have a future mate picked out by then? She felt a sharp pang rip through her chest at the though and it caused her heart to squeeze tightly and her breath to hitch. Ignoring this, she tried to make her mouth work.

"So, why, why do I need to know all this? I mean, besides the announcing me as a part of the pack, what else is my purpose for knowing?" she asked slowly, her mind still reeling. "And how does this affect the hunt for Naraku?"

Sesshoumaru sighed at her questions, she always had so many. Shaking his head slightly, he unrolled the scroll in front of him.

"You will be expected to accompany me to all of the events of the ceremonies. The Grand Meeting, especially. Your former group may have had information on the evil hanyou that this Sesshoumaru does not have. You, as well, can explain the problem of the jewel to them. The hanyou affects all the nations, not just the west. It is my responsibility as a lord to warn the other lords of potential threats to their security and land," he explained, watching with satisfaction and understanding spread in her eyes warmly. She nodded and after a moment, the warmth was gone and she abruptly looked sad again. Confused by this, he glanced at her curiously.

"What saddens you, miko?" he asked, his beast growling at the use of the word 'miko'. He hushed the beast and looked at her expectantly. He watched as she struggled with words and played with her hands. "Is the answer written on your palms, girl?" he demanded impatiently, displeased with her stalling. Watching her flinch with much less satisfaction than he expected, he once again ignored his beast's anger.

"I-I, was wondering what you were going to do about the, the uh, future mate part of the ceremony," she asked, a blush adorning her cheeks quickly and sadness permeating her scent. He felt his beast sing at the look on her face, and Sesshoumaru was confused by his sudden happiness at her misery.

'_She's sad because she's finally realized that she has feelings for us. She's despairing at the thought of you taking another as your mate because it would leave her alone. She's falling in love with us! Just like we are here!' _the beast's voice grew more and more happy as his speech went on, and Sesshoumaru could hardly believe the words he was hearing. Not only was his beast claiming that the girl was falling in love with them, but he also claimed that he was falling in love with her! Ignoring the impossible words of his youkai, he stared at the girl and tried to think of what to say to her. He hadn't thought at all what he was going to do as far as having to choose a mate. Part of him wanted to ignore tradition and announce that he had no intentions of taking a mate.

'_But… That's a lie,'_ he had to admit to himself. He knew that one day he would be forced to choose a mate. It would not be for love, or for even affection, it would purely be so that he could have an heir. Or at least, that's what he had always thought. Now though, the thought sounded off in his head. As if he was ignoring something that was a better option. Deciding to think on it later, he stopped listening to the insistent words of his beast and looked again at the girl.

"This Sesshoumaru has no plans regarding that matter as of right now," he said quietly, watching as some of her sadness washed from her face and it was replaced with an emotion Sesshoumaru wasn't expecting. Hope filled her ocean eyes and threatened to drown him if he didn't look away. He was stuck though, his amber eyes consumed by her blue ones as he watched her lean forward so that he elbows sat on his desk. Watching her closely, she reached out a small hand and touched the edge of his stripes again. Her touch, ever so gentle, calmed his beast and erased the stress that the ceremonies brought on.

"You have a strange fixation with my strips, Kagome," he whispered, his voice holding an almost teasing quality was he opened his eyes and stared at her. Immediately, the softness was washed away by the tears gathering in her eyes. She pulled her hand back sharply, as if stung and stumbled to her feet. Backing up quickly, her back hit the bookshelf behind her and she could feel the hot tracks of tears streaming down her face. Her hand burned in a too good way where she had touched him. She watched with wide eyes as he stepped around his desk toward her, his eyes cautious. No, she couldn't let him near her again. Turning quickly, she bolted from the room and down the hall. In the week that she had been there she had gotten a fairly good grasp on where everything was in the castle. If she was right, her room should be just around the corner. Turning the corner sharply, she realized that Sesshoumaru's aura was right behind her. Tapping into her miko powers, she allowed them to fuel her as she flew around the corner and to her door. Throwing it open, she made it into her room and turned to close it just as clawed hand grabbed the shoji door and halted her action.

She stepped back from him, loud sobs breaking from her lips as she covered her face with her hands and broke down. Sesshoumaru found that her cries this time made him uncomfortable in an entirely new way. When she had wept over being left behind by her friends, he had simply wanted her to stop so that the grating smell of salt would leave the air. Now, he itched for the tears to cease so that she would smile again. He tried not to think about why he wanted to see her smile and just concentrated on trying to cease the tears.

"Miko, what causes these tears?" he tried to make his voice gentle, only half succeeding as a slight amount of annoyance broke through. He watched unhappily as she flinched.

Kagome couldn't believe what was happening. One look, one gentle look that held the slightest bit of amusement had been all it took to make her realize what was happening to her. She hadn't noticed this whole time, this slow change in herself as she spent more time in Sesshoumaru's company, in his home. They had only been together for a little under a month and a half.

'_And all that time, without even noticing. How could I have been so stupid?' _she demanded of herself as she tried to wipe the tears away and explain to him the madness that had overcome her. The madness that had crept under her skin and rooted itself deeply in her heart, leaving her no choice but to follow it and let it grow within her. She tried to take a deep breath and it just came out in hitched sobs. Why? Why did she always have to set herself up for heartbreak? First with Inuyasha, someone who could never love her over his first love. And now, his brother, the icy lord who swore to love no one. Let alone a lowly human. She felt her breath hitch again and she could tell her tears were slowing. The initial shock of realizing he own feelings was wearing off and leaving her tired and empty. She needed time to process these realizations and figure out how she was going to deal with them. She could tell, just by the little roots planted deep in her heart, that this love was far greater than her crush for Inuyasha. Another pang of pain, the echo of unrequited love beating with her heart. She stared at Sesshoumaru now, her eyes red and puffy, and tried to think of what to say to him.

She said the first thing that came to mind, the only honest way to describe her strange outburst.

"I, I'm falling," she said simply. With that, she turned and retreated into her private bath house and closed the shoji doors quietly. Leaving Sesshoumaru to ponder what her words meant.

After a minute, she head him walk across the room and go to his own through the connecting door. Sinking to the floor, she held in the second wave of tears that threatened to overtake her. After a moment, she stood and walked over to the bath. Not an hour ago she had bathed, her hair was still damp, yet she felt the need to do so once again. Stripping there, she sunk into the deep, warm waters and let them wash away all the loneliness and sorrow that had soaked into her bones. She splashed the water on her face to wash away the crust and salt that had dried at the corners of her eyes and down her cheeks.

After fifteen minutes, she felt the tips of her fingers pruning and decided it was time to stop hiding from the world. Rising out of the water, she realized she was out of towels. Cursing softly under her breath and groped around for a stray towel or forgotten one. Finding none, she carefully gathered her abandoned kimono and walked back into her room. Spotting her towel from that morning, she was about to grab it when something shiny caught her eye. Turning around, she glanced at the trunk against the wall. On top, a note was writing and resting upon the note to hold it in place was a small silver dog charm. Grabbing the towel, she wrapped it around her body for she touched the inu charm lightly and moved it to the side. Pulling the paper open gently, she stared at the words and tried to comprehend them.

'_If you are to fall, perhaps this Sesshoumaru will catch you.' _She read it over and over again, her heart racing the more she read it. The words sunk in slowly. He was saying that he might… She couldn't even think it. A small smile graced her face as she set the note down and continued to towel off. Going through her morning routine for the second time that day, she decided that today was the day. She was going to enter that dojo. Still naked from her bath, she dug through her bags and made a small noise of pleasure when she pulled out her short training pants and a short sleeved miko top. Pulling them on, she used a rubber band to bind her hair in a high ponytail on the top of her head.

Turning to her door, she raised her head high and smiled as she walked over to it and pushed it open slowly. She needed to be strong.

….

Sesshoumaru knew the minute that she stepped out of the shower. He listened intently to the beat of her heart and the sounds of her feet as she walked around the room. He was curious to the small sound of pleasure, but ignored it as overwhelming amounts of pride and determination filled her scent. He, curious as to the sudden shift in her mood, listened as she left her room and waited a moment before leaving his own and following her. He was surprised by her state of dress. Even the day that she had toiled in the dirt of the herb garden had she dressed nicer than this simple outfit. Curiosity only fueled, he followed her silently with a masked aura to see where she was going. He was even more confused when she walked out of the castle, he watched a goose bumps rose on her arms and legs where they were exposed from the cool autumn air.

He watched as she casually talked toward the dojo and her intent slowly dawned on him. A feeling of immense respect overwhelmed him as he stopped walking and watched as she stood in the doorway of his dojo and after a moment of deep breath, entered with a high head.

'_Perhaps, this miko is not like the humans this Sesshoumaru has encountered in the past,' _he admitted to himself, smirking at his beast's noise of agreement. He followed silently after her, curious as to how his soldiers would react to a woman, let alone a human woman, in their dojo. He smirked at the thought.

….

Kagome stared at the men surrounding her with calm eyes. They were all looking at her with intense looks of surprise and in one case, disgust. He was a large demon, a lizard, if she had to guess. His tongue flicked out in irritation as his yellow eyes narrowed at her angrily.

"What do you want, woman? The healer's quarters are next door," he said gruffly, smiling as a few soldiers chuckled along with him. Kagome stared at them emotionlessly before smirking at the demon.

"I wish to learn, and perhaps even teach," she said calmly, completely seriously and having to fight back a smirk as the demons all gaped at her as if she was growing a second head. She almost giggled.

The lizard was the first to regain his senses and he growled at her under his smirk.

"Is that so, onna? I would like to see what you could possibly teach us," his pride was evident in his voice as his knees bent and he held out his hands. Kagome smirked at the obvious challenge stance and fell into a similar one, her arms tucked close to her body and her powers awakening slowly. The lizard took no time, as soon as her position was set; he lunged at her with a loud grunt. Kagome anticipated this and side stepped it easily and elbowed him hard in the back of the neck. He choked on his breath and fell to his hands and knees. Turning, Kagome kicked him hard in the rips and sent him toppling on his back. Jumping back, Kagome smirked. He was getting to his feet and growling angrily. Again, he came rushing at her, all punches and jabs. Kagome dodged most of them, taking a few in the arms. Grunting, she ducked down and swiped her leg out, knocking his feet from under him. Stepping back as he fell to his butt, she couldn't hold back the giggle that slipped from her lips at the dumb look on his face.

Rage overtook his features and his yellow eyes flashed a dangerous orange as his pure youkai energy erupted out of him. This took her off guard and Kagome didn't have time to do anything before a sharp kick to the knee sent her crumpling to the ground. She could feel her knee pop out of place and grunted loudly. She could hear the demon laugh over her and fury reigned in her veins. Pushing herself to her feet, she felt her knee lock and with a hand on either side of her knee, she pushed it into place with another low grunt. Testing it gently, she knew that she'd need to be careful with it now. It could hardly sustain her entire weight on it. She was happy that this wasn't her first dislocation or she wouldn't have known how to pop it back into its proper place. Ignoring the memories of her shoulder dislocation, she eyed the smirking demon coldly.

"Don't you think this has gone on long enough, little onna?" he said, seeing the mock dance in his feral eyes. Ignoring his attempts at riling her, she bounced lightly on the tips of her toes and waited for him to make his next move. Seeming to realize that the battle was going to continue, he fell into his first stance and the smirk held strong.

'_I will wipe that smirk from his face,' _she promised herself darkly, watching as he came at her headlong again. Anticipating this, she jumped back and when he tried to straighten to look up at her, she sent a well-aimed kick into his jaw. She smiled when blood dribbled down the corner of his mouth. It was foul and green, making Kagome's nose wrinkle. Normally, she would have felt guilty for causing another to bleed, but in this case it was necessary that she make a place for herself. If she was going to live here, she needed to continue to train and this was the only place she could do it properly. She needed to gain at least some of their respect or they would not take her seriously. And she would not accept that. Determination blazing anew, her eyes started to glow faintly with miko energy. It was time to have a little fun, she decided.

Watching passively as he straightened, she saw the serious look in his eyes. He, also, needed to impress these men. To hold their respect and to maintain his pride, he needed to win. Turning serious as well, Kagome got ready to fight once more.

Five minutes later, neither party had given in, but Kagome was visibly tiring. Her dodges were slow and her jabs weak as she hopped back and tried to put distance between her and her opponent. Her breath was coming in desperate gasps and sweat dripped down her face and soaked her hair. Her knee ached deeply and she knew that she wasn't going to last much longer. Deciding that it was time to end this fight, she waited as the youkai came at her with a fist. The object was intended for her face but Kagome ducked and forced her energy into her first. Her powers came to her immediately and her thrust had into his gut. Not hard enough to damage anything, and certainly not with enough miko energy to do anything but sting him; but the result she planned was the same. A choked grunt and his body going heavy with dead weight. He was out instantly, falling to the ground in a crumpled heap. Unconscious. Kagome looked around and took in the flabbergasted, taken aback looks of the demons around her. Her face reflected pride and her eyes demanded respect.

"He's just knocked out, you guys. He'll come around soon," she said, assuring them almost smugly as she stepped over the lizard's still body and walked slowly toward the door. Her knee was stiff and hurt to put pressure on, but she refused to show that to the men staring at her. Smiling as soon as she was outside, she allowed herself to limp some as she approached the castle entrance.

Kagome could feel Sesshoumaru's energy before she reached the front of the castle and she wondered what he was doing. Looking around, confused, she was glad when she felt him approaching her. She might require his help getting to her room. Her leg was beginning to feel noodley and she didn't want to put anymore strain on it.

Sesshoumaru appeared beside her in moments and within seconds, she was being assisted by one arm around her waist to help her to her room. She wondered for a moment if Sesshoumaru had been watching. As if reading her mind, he looked down at her with eyes that reflected approval.

"This Sesshoumaru is impressed with your fighting, I had not expected you to have gained such skill in the time with my idiot half-brother," he said quietly as helped her get to her room. She was still trying to catch her breath and didn't attempt to answer him until he was helping her lay on her futon. After another deep breath and a drink from the cup of water offered to her, she replied.

"Thanks, I've wanted to go in there for a while now. I missed training, Miroku used to each me some hand to hand, along with some other priestesses that we ran into," she explained as she took a deep breath and looked down at her knee. It was no longer dislocated, but was stiff and sore. Begging for rest and sleep, and perhaps a little help from her miko powers. Placing her hands on her knee, she pushed a little of her energy left into her knee to ease the discomfort there. Moments later, it felt almost back to normal and Kagome was near out of energy. She looked up to Sesshoumaru, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"You can leave; I'm going to take a little nap to renew my energy. Dinner tonight?" she asked quietly, a small yawn breaking the last word in half. Her eyelids drooped and she struggled to stay away and hear his answer. She should have realized that such aggressive fighting would take a lot out of her after so long relaxing. Her mind was becoming foggy and a dream state was threatening her. When he finally spoke, she wasn't even sure it was real.

"Yes, Kagome."


	5. Chapter 5

Kagura sat on the balls of her feet, leaning forward slightly on the tree as she peered at the ground expectantly and waited. Kanna sat beside her, her short legs dangling over the edge of the branch and her mirror resting in her lap. If Kagura looked at it, it showed the image of the ookami girl heading their way. The kaze had already done the work of incapacitating the wolf's little friend, so all there was to do is was wait.

And just moments later, she came tip toeing into the area, standing at the edge of the stream and looking around with an expression of confusion written all over her face. Kagura felt a smile dance on her lips as she jumped down from the branch and landed lightly behind the girl. Sensing her, You-chan whipped around and looked at her with wide eyes, like a startled deer that was about to bolt.

'_Now, it wouldn't do us any good if she ran,'_ Kagura thought with an evil smirk as she threw wind at the girl and laughed when she fell. Walking over to her, she watched with amusement as the girl scurried backwards on her butt. Turning, the wolf looked into the water and went to dive into it, it was her only chance of getting away. Living in the castle had refined all of the fighting instinct out of her and she didn't have the slightest idea of how to protect herself. Grunting quietly, she jumped toward the river and yelped when she came crashing down to the ground. A clawed hand was wrapped tightly around her small ankle, claws digging into the soft flesh and twisting. The little wolf held back the urge to scream and tried to claw her way toward the river. She was not going to sit down and be overtaken, even if she didn't know how to, she was going to fight. Somewhere deep in her mind though, she knew that she was going to lose this fight. It made her struggling desperate and messy, and made her impossibly easy for the wind youkai to overpower her. Pinning her hands easily behind her back, Kagura grunted for Kanna and waited for her older sister to help her. Kanna walked over to stand at the girl's side as she bent down and easily parted her hair from her neck. Reaching into her mirror, she slowly pulled out a single dark jewel shard that glowed darkly. At the appearance of the shard, the little demon stopped struggling and stared at the shard with large, hypnotized auburn eyes. The power that the jewel promised sang to her youki and made her inner demon purr with the untold promises that the jewel whispered. Smirking, Kagura held her hand out and took the shard from Kanna. Without any hesitation, she jabbed a claw mercilessly into the back of the demon's throat. Not deep enough to harm seriously, but deep enough to hide a shard. The girl yelled in sudden pain and was momentarily returned to her senses before the jewels song was suddenly bursting through her veins. The kaze woman had dug the jewel deep into the wound and watched as the life and will faded from the woman's eyes. She sat still for a moment before and watched with mild satisfaction as the wound healed nicely and showed no sign of the dark treasure hidden in the girl's flesh. Rising slowly from her position on the girl's back, she watched as the woman lifelessly picked herself up off the ground and stared at Kagura with blank, soulless eyes. She was little more than Naraku's puppet now. She was flesh and blood, but her mind was not hers anymore. Kagura grimaced.

Now that her job was done, she was forced to return to that horrid castle. Grimace turning to sneer, she stared at the woman and repeated what Naraku was yelling in her head.

"Go to the castle; act as normally as you can. Find a way to be alone with the girl's children, the little human Rin and the fox kit Shippou. Once alone, kill them. No hesitation, if you hesitate," Kagura let the sentence drop as Naraku intervened and the woman was suddenly on her knees clawing at her throat. Kagura, unsure of what was actually happening to the woman, watched with boredom as the tenseness left her body and the girl collapsed to her hands and tried to regain her breath. The wind demoness ignored her struggles and turned.

"Come, Kanna, it is time to return," she said as she plucked a feather from her hair and threw it into the air lightly. Jumped easily onto it, she helped Kanna up and gave the woman one last, almost pitiful look. Then, she willed her feather to ride the wind and carry her back to the castle. She frowned again. She hated going back.

….

Kagome blinked against the sunlight glaring in her face. She groaned loudly, a slight pout coming to her lips as she rolled over and hugged her pillow tightly to her body. A body was sore and tired and had no intentions of moving anytime soon. Content with just falling back in a dazed sleep, Kagome was surprised when her door was pushed open and someone was entering. Peeling her eyes open slightly, she watched as Sesshoumaru's boots came toward her face. Confident that he wouldn't kick her, she sat still and waited until he spoke.

"Why are you still in bed, miko?"

Kagome groaned again, most quietly this time and rolled onto her back. With an arm draped over her face, she could hear the implied 'Get up' behind his words. Stretching her fingertips above her head high, she allowed her toes to curl and pop before slowly sitting up and looking up at Sesshoumaru. Even in the morning, he radiated perfection. In the castle, he looked much different than he did among the woods of the world. His haori was simpler and he had lost his arm and all but one of his swords. His hair, usually flowing freely down his back, was in a long braid at the moment. Kagome still felt her fingers tingle with the urge to touch it, just one more time. She clenched her fists and ignored the urge as she pushed herself to her feet and smiled at him.

"Okay, I'm up, what do you want?" she asked, oddly cheerful. She wondered if it was his presence that was making her so happy, because five minutes ago she would have tried to behead anyone that tried to wake her. She held in a giggle at the thought and continued to smile at him as she waited for an answer. He stared at her with that unfathomable expression that made her knees a little weak and she wondered for a moment if she was going to need to sit down. She remained standing though, mesmerized by his magma eyes.

"You did not join me for dinner," he said so quietly that Kagome wasn't sure that she had even heard him. A pang of guilt rippled through her chest and her brow furrowed.

"I'm sorry. Why didn't you come and wake me? I would have gladly joined you," she said quietly, feeling the need to touch him again. Getting tired of fighting it, she let her hand rise slowly and just barely touched the fabric where his arm should be. More guilt washed over her and her eyebrows scrunched further.

"I'm sorry," and he could tell that she was apologizing for more than missing dinner with him. His beast demanded that he soothe this guilt that their mate was feeling way, and Sesshoumaru sighed.

'_You have gone as far as to start calling her our 'mate' now?' _he thought, suddenly exasperated. It was only midday and he could feel the urge to relax washing over his mind. He sighed inwardly and looked at the girl's huge blue eyes. So much emotion was in them that the youkai lord was not surprised that they were blue. They were like a basin of water running over because there was too much in them to hold. It was captivating, and Sesshoumaru realized then that it was her eyes that would be his undoing.

'_And her body, and mind, and smell,' _his beast added to the list, even its voice dazed. Looking down at the tiny hand clutching his sleeve, he tried to decide if he regretted the loss of his arm. It had been his first encounter with this strange miko, which was something his beast adamantly refused to allow him to regret.

'_The only regret is we have only one arm to hold her with,' _his beast growled seriously as he stared through Sesshoumaru at her blue eyes.

Kagome felt her stomach flutter and her heart race as she stared at him. His bangs around his face, the stripes curving along his high cheek bones that came into a point nose, even his eyes were gorgeous. Molten lava that at any moment could be frozen into solid ice, now though, they were glowing bright with some unknown heat that Kagome couldn't put her finger on. Their eyes were locked and neither blinked, afraid that the connection would flee when eye contact was lost. Kagome let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and sucked in another one, internally flinching at how loud it was. The demon lord looked at her, as a bright blush crossed her face. Sighing inwardly at her strange human ways, he looked at her for a moment before turning and swept from the room.

"Go eat lunch. Once you have eaten, join me in my study. There are matters that I wish to speak with you about concerning the upcoming events."

Kagome nodded even though his back was to her and watched as he walked out of her room and the door was closed quietly. After a moment of trying to get her breathing under control, Kagome let a cheery smile overtake her face as she set to her daily morning routine. After a bath, combing and braiding her hair, and pulling on a fresh kimono, Kagome walked out of her room and headed toward the dining hall. She hummed happily to herself as she walked, with almost a skip in her step. Upon entering the dining room, she was bombarded by two small bodies wrapping themselves around her legs. She smiled even more widely at them and patted the children's heads as she detached them from her legs and walked toward the table. They chatted happily at a hundred miles an hour as Kagome smiled and sat with them. Throughout lunch, they told her about playing in the gardens and hiding from Jaken. Rin couldn't stop giggling as Shippou told the futuristic miko about stealing his staff and hiding in a tree with it.

"It was so funny watching him run around in circles, squawking for us!" Rin giggled loudly as she and Shippou high fived over the table. Kagome laughed with them. While she never approved of terrorizing another, she had to admit that she wasn't fond of the little toad demon. After half an hour, the children ran out of the room with all the intent of the world to torment the little green toad. Smiling after them, Kagome sighed and looked down at the grains of wood in the table. Tracing them lightly, she wondered why she was stalling. She knew that all Sesshoumaru wanted to talk about was the ceremony.

'_Why then am I hoping for more?' _she asked herself with a loud sigh as she pushed from the table and headed for Sesshoumaru's study.

….

Once out of her room, Sesshoumaru stopped in the middle of the hall and looked back at her room. Exhaling quietly, he continued slowly to his study with the miko strong on his mind. He couldn't understand these feelings that bubbled in his chest whenever she was around.

'_Whenever she looks at me with those damn blue eyes,'_ he thought with anger that he didn't even feel. The girl had efficiently wormed her way into his mind, then into his company, and now into his very soul. Her little human hands clung tightly to him and refused to leave. And as time went on, he found that he wanted her there. He wanted her at his side, to watch the emotion play on her face and the feelings dance wildly in her wide, azure eyes, to smell her scent that was so strong. Since she had arrived, Sesshoumaru had been trying to decide what exactly she smelt like. It was comforting and strong, yet at the same time wild and untamed. The cold lord found himself inhaling deeply through his nose to find the faint scent in the air and relished in it as he slid his study's shoji doors open and stepped through. The small space also held faint traces of her delicious smell and the taiyoukai found that he was impatient for her to join him here. This impatience brought on a sudden thought. When had his hatred of this woman stopped? He had always loathed that she was with his imbecile brother, but had he ever really loathed her? Unable to answer that question, he moved on to another one swirling in his thoughts. What exactly were his feelings for this human child? He found that he also didn't quite know the answer to this question. The thought of her brought on intense feelings of possessiveness and the fierce need to protect her. Upon accepting her into his pack, he had put a formal claim on her. Be it not a mating claim, it was a claim none the less. Any suitor would need to ask for his permission before courting her and any lord address him before wanting her. The thought brought on another feeling her couldn't understand. Jealousy ran wild through his blood at the thought of another male having her as his own. Why though did he feel the need to feel such jealousy, and so intensely? He didn't love the woman-child.

'_No, but you care for her. You are affectionate of her. And that is more than you have felt for any other female,'_ his beast pointed out, a huge grin evident in his voice. The icy demon lord snarled, not at the words, but at the fact that he couldn't argue with them. Sesshoumaru wasn't stupid; he knew when to admit when someone else was correct. People thought him incapable of this, since he didn't do it very often. This was not the case, Sesshoumaru was just very rarely wrong. In this case though, he knew that his demon was right. This little woman, this insignificant female worm had found a way to earn his affection, and his trust and protection. He wanted to feel angry. He wanted to be furious that she had changed him without his notice. He wanted to be seething that she had made him weak. That thought stopped him cold. Was he weak now, for his affection of the miko?

'_This Sesshoumaru does not feel any weaker.'_ His claws dripped with acid and his whip extended easily. Retracting it before it disintegrated the stone beneath his feet, he pushed his youki out to its full extent and grimaced when it went just as far and was just as potent and powerful as it had been a month ago. This troubled him. Had he been wrong in his assumption that affection for humans brought weakness? His father had died for a weak, ningen female and his brother. Was that not weak? Was protecting them with his life strong? He had never considered this, only seeing that he had died and knowing that action in and of itself was weak. The thought of being wrong troubled him and made his brow furrow as he sat down and sighed. The woman was bringing so many things into perspective and making him question so many things that a headache was developing just above his eyebrows and radiating throughout his entire head. Sometimes, it seemed that she was more trouble than she was worth.

'_And then she looks at me with those cursed eyes and that bright smile,'_ he thought with a twinge of bitterness as he ran a hand through his silver locks and sighed again. It seemed that he had been doing a lot lately.

Suddenly, he felt the miko coming toward the room. Looking out at the high sun, he realized it had been nearly an hour since he had spoken to her. He had wasted a hour thinking about her and what she was doing to him. And at the end, all he knew was that he had some strange feelings for her that made him possessive and that he was not weak for feeling affection for a human. Two things he had thought impossible for himself. Pinching the bridge of his nose to fight the throbbing in his temples, he waited for the woman to arrive.

And that's how Kagome found him. She had been halfway to his study, walking at a slow pace as she analyzed the dynamic of their strange relationship, when she had felt his youki pressing down on her forcefully. It made her knees lock and she found that she was unable to move for several moments, her miko abilities had jumped to the surface to protect her from falling under its immense power, until it abruptly disappeared and the air was once again clear. Worried that something had happened, she hurried to the study. Throwing the door open, she now stared at a much stressed looking Sesshoumaru. His face was hard and his eyes closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His brows were furrowed and he looked almost like he was in pain. Worry only heightened, she walked over to him and touched his hand gently. Her healing powers slipped from her fingertips and through his hand into his head, willing the obvious pain there to lessen. After a moment of this, Sesshoumaru exhaled almost inaudibly and grabbed her hand gently. Moving it from his face, he released it when it was again near her side and looked up at her with frozen amber eyes. She saw the gentle request to step away and respected his wish as she walked over and threw herself into the cushions. Shifting and squirming until she got comfortable, she stared at the western lord patiently and waited for him to speak. She did not have to wait long.

"This Sesshoumaru would like to discuss the possibility of a male offering to be your mate at the festivities," he said, his words clipped and his voice flat. He stared at her, curious as to how she would react to this information. Kagome merely blinked and her head cocked to the side a little as she stared at him. She had no idea what he was talking about. Seeing the confusion and lost look in her eyes, the demon lord explained.

"A tradition of the ceremony is that other lords will bring potential heirs such as princes and princess to look for mates for children. Most are strategic, to gain favor with another lord or to solidify peace between lands. I have now accepted you into my pack, meaning that you are available to be offered as a mate to a prince of another house. Other lords and princes will ask me for your hand and given permission, start courting you. This Sesshoumaru needs to know if you have any interest in being courted," he said frankly, staring at her with flat eyes as he watched understanding bloom on her face. And then disgust.

"Ugh! No! That's awful. I would rather die alone than be in an arranged marriage," she said vehemently. She visibly shuttered at the mere idea and Sesshoumaru was pleased. He let this show in his slight smirk as he nodded in approval and turned to look out the window.

"Good, this Sesshoumaru was not happy with the idea of giving you off to another house. The racket my younger brother would cause is not worth it," he said, adding the end as an afterthought. Kagome was both surprised and saddened by the statement. She was hoping he wanted to keep her around for her, but then she wondered how Inuyasha would even find out about the marriage at all.

"How would Inuyasha know in the first place?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"The whelp is on his way here. He is not only obligated to attend for the meeting, but he wishes to speak with you. I sent a messenger out five days ago to inform the half breed and he returned yesterday evening to inform me that Inuyasha was on his way. He will arrive in two weeks, according to what Inuyasha said. He told the messenger that he had to return to his village before he would start on his way here. The monk and demon slayer will be accompanying him."

Kagome took a moment to take this all in, a wide smile splitting her lips. She had long since forgiven her friends, knowing they did it to help her, and the idea of seeing them excited her. Sesshoumaru watched as she smiled as small smile of his own tugging at his lips. Suppressing the urge, he turned away from her and stood slowly. Walking around the low desk, he stood in front of her reclined figure in the chair. Staring down at her, her face now sobered and she was lost in his bright eyes. She watched as he lowered his hand toward her. She felt her heart skip a beat when he placed it gently on the side of her neck and closed his eyes. Her heart beat thrummed, strong, under his fingertips and it made his beast purr seductively. Ignoring this, he let his fingers slowly trace upward and down her jawline to her chin. Her skin was soft and when he touched it, little bursts of her scent were scent toward him. He found himself unconsciously breathing more deeply, wanting to smell more of her. It was a mix of her personal scent, and the jasmine scents that were mixed in with her clothing. Remembering his trouble recognizing the smell of her, he concentrated and could distinguish cotton and pomegranate from her. Two fragrances that he never would have thought good together until he was standing here, wanting more. Maybe it was because it was Kagome. He like that explanation, it was the closest to explaining everything about her and everything she had down that he had gotten. Wanting more of this scent that was distinctly the miko's, he bent slowly down and let his nose hover over her hair. Again, the jasmine was faint there as he focused on her and took her in.

With his face so close, the previous urge to kiss him came back with a vengeance and Kagome was finding it incredibly hard to ignore. She had come to terms with the fact that she was developing very strong feelings for him, and it was obvious that she had sexual attraction to him. What female with functioning eyes didn't? She had also come to accept though that these feelings would never be reciprocated by the icy demon. He was all about the uselessness of humans and keeping his bloodline pure. This thought disheartened the girl slightly and she felt her heart becoming heavy.

Sensing the change in her posture and the sour turn her scent had taken, the demon lord slowly opened his golden eyes and stared at her.

"What saddens you, miko?" he asked faintly, his warm breath fanning over her face and making her shiver. There went the rest of her resolve. Boldly, she put a hand on either side of his face and pulled it toward her. Before the startled lord had time to ask what she thought she was doing, she was already on her knees with her lips pressed forcefully against his. The taiyoukai was shocked, to say the least, and his wide eyes showed that as the miko's body was strained against his. His beast growling in pleasure, overjoyed as the demon wrapped his arm around the girl to hold her body close and passionately returned the kiss. He straightened and brought her with him, holding her with her feet barely brushing the ground. The kiss was anything but gentle. It was fire, passion, heat, and demanding. Like they couldn't get enough of one another now that they had each other.

Kagome snapped to her senses first.

She realized what she was doing, what she had done, and her face warmed so quickly that the demon lord was worried for half a second. Pulling her face back, she panted for breath as she stared at the inu demon with wide, horrified eyes. Sesshoumaru felt an odd amount of pride swell within him as he noticed his scent mingle with hers, and her lips began to swell slightly from the force of the kiss. His beast howled in pleasure, pleased by this first marking of them on her. And suddenly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, Sesshoumaru realized that this girl was his. It was not the in the way of a mate, but it was heading that way. The affection he had for her was not something that he had ever felt for anyone else, and it was this affection that made her his. Had you asked him a month ago, he would have denied that the onna would ever find that she was allowed in his company, but now he stood here holding her, her saliva still fresh on his lips and his smell twisting pleasingly with his own. He found the position appealing. He might not want a mating right now, but he certainly wasn't opposed to a good rut with the little miko in his arms. A sharp pain slammed him in the head as his beast twisted and thrashed in his hold, growling and howling so loudly that his mind was throbbing.

'_DON'T YOU DARE! YOU WILL ONLY HURT OUR MATE AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT! DO THAT AND YOU ARE LITTLE BETTER THAN YOUR BROTHER!'_ While insulted and outraged by the insolent words, Sesshoumaru was shocked at the amount of rage that his beast had been able to muster, and the amount of fight he was putting up against the cold demon's steel hold on him. Ignoring all of it, including the thoughts of rutting, Sesshoumaru slowly set the girl on her own feet and only released her when he knew that she was sturdy on her own two feet. She was still staring with those wide blue eyes that were so full of shame and agony and horror that Sesshoumaru was almost worried. She spoke before he had a chance to ask.

"I am sorry, I-I don't know what came over me," she said her voice frantic, but soft, and the threat of tears was strong in the choked last words. He also heard a tint of fear in her words. He was curious then, what did she fear from her actions? His beast snorted at him and Sesshoumaru could still feel his anger.

'_She is afraid of your anger and your rejection. Remember, our little mate has been hurt many times by your idiot half-brother. She fears that you will turn her away for being bold, for acting on her feelings. She is the only one to have admitted hers, and she is starting to regret setting herself up to be hurt,'_ the anger had fallen from the ghostly voice and sadness filled the hole. Sesshoumaru felt some of it seep into his own mind and growled internally. Wishing to cease all of these feelings, he looked at the miko as calmly as he could with his splitting headache and grumbling beast.

"This Sesshoumaru would not have returned the kiss had he not wanted to, miko. You have no need to apologize," his deep baritone voice vibrated in his chest and made Kagome shiver. Slowly, his clawed hand tipped her chin up and he looked into her eyes for a moment before releasing her face and sighing.

"This Sesshoumaru has paperwork to attend to. I would like to show you something first though," he said softly as he slowly reached down and took her small hand in his. He held it for half a moment before releasing it and turning toward the door. His beast nagging in his head as they walked, telling him that he needed to admit his feelings to the girl or she was just going to continue to think that they were one sided and end up looking for someone else. The idea irked the demon lord and he once again thought of the males coming from other houses in the next month. They were going to be troublesome. He knew that they were going to be attracted to the miko following behind him. They would be attracted to her strange eyes and soft curves, as well as her power and feisty attitude. The mere thoughts of such annoyances brought the headache back and he could feel his temples begin to throb.

Kagome looked at his back curiously when she felt his aura change slightly, taking on a hint of annoyance. Frowning, she tried to think of ways to soothe whatever was troubling him. None came to mind before the tall lord stopped in front of a door and motioned for her to join him at his side. Stepping forward, she stared at the door curiously. Sesshoumaru motioned for her to open it. Pressing her small hands against the smooth wood, she pressed against the heavy door with all her might and huffed in surprise when it swung open and she almost fell. A clawed hand reached out and grabbed her upper arm quickly. Once she was steady again, the hand fell and her skin tingled where he had touched it. Ignoring this feeling, Kagome looked around the room with awe sparkling in her face and shining in her smile. The entire room, from floor to ceiling, was bookshelves of scrolls. A few early books were scattered here and there, but books were expensive to make and very few were ever made. It was mostly scrolls. And from the sheer number of them, they were on every topic under the sun. Sesshoumaru led her through slowly, pointing out the shelves and telling her what they had scrolls on. Finally, they ended in the farthest corner of the room in front of a smaller shelf. This one was decorated with ornate carvings of large inu dogs. Kagome ran her fingertips over one gently and a small smiled graced her lips.

"They look like you," she whispered softly as she placed her palm over it and sighed. She looked back at him with a curious expression. "What's on these shelves?"

Sesshoumaru didn't fight the urge to smile a small smile as he reached his hand out and touched the top of the shelf.

"This is my family, my clan's, history. It tells of all the inu demons on record. All the lords and ladies, all the battles and births, everything that you could possibly want to know about my people." Kagome smiled at his tone. He was proud of his family, his people, and his clan. A clan that she was a part of now. She knew that she was going to be spending a lot of time reading this collection.

"Am I allowed to take them out of the library?" she asked curiously, referring to all the scrolls in the library. She was slightly taken aback when Sesshoumaru shook his head.

"You may take all those save the ones on these shelves. Powerful magic is placed connecting the library to these scrolls. It is to protect my history and those of my family that are still alive. They cannot be removed from this room," he explained, glad when the look of near hurt left her eyes. She nodded in understanding as she touched a scroll lightly before turning to him with a bright smile.

"You have paperwork to work on Sesshoumaru. I'll probably stay in here for a little while before going to ply with Rin and Shippou. Give poor Jaken a break from their antics," she said with a slight giggle. She looked down at the scrolls with excitement and anticipation shining in her never ending eyes. "Dinner, tonight."

Sesshoumaru smirked at her as he looked at the scrolls as well.

"Only if you bring yourself to show up this time," he said, his tone teasing. Kagome looked at him in shock; she had never heard him tease anyone before. She was starting to think that this whole "ice cold demon lord" act was merely for those he thought undeserving. Which made her think, what suddenly made her deserving of seeing his emotions? Ignoring the thought, she smiled.

"I think I can manage that."

"Then I look forward to your company tonight."

And this that, he was gone, sweeping out of the room gracefully and silently. Kagome touched the scrolls gently and walked to the far right side of the shelf. She grabbed the one with the earliest date printed into it. Unrolling it gently, she found a comfortable place in the late autumn sun to lie on a cushion and read. Settling in, she started to read about the birth of demons to the world.

….

Naraku watched as his mindless little puppet went through her chores for the thirty-third day after he had implanted the shard in her. As of right now, it had been rendered neutralized so that nobody would suspect something amiss, as they would if she was to be strange and zombie like. He was growing impatient though and had decided that today was the day. He looked elsewhere in the castle through Kanna's mirror and smirked at the image of his soon-to-be miko slave lounging on a cushion and reading a scroll that he didn't recognize. Pushing the matter out of his head, he smiled with seductive evilness at her image.

"Soon, my little miko, you will be sitting at my side."

Snapping his fingers, he watched as the image melted back to his little ookami puppet. Tapping the jewel lightly with the tip of his fingernail, he watched as the life drained from the wolf's face and she stared into nothing. The basket of laundry that she still carried on her hip carried the knife that she would use against the children. He smiled as she discarded the basket behind a rose bush and entered the rose garden, which was more like a labyrinth, with the knife tucked securely into her obi.

The hunt had begun.

….

Rin giggled loudly as Shippou sent weeping acorns to swarm Jaken's feet. The little imp squawked and wailed at them, until he finally huffed and exclaimed that he was better than this. Watching him march out of the garden with little nuts clinging to his short legs and feet, the children fell to the ground laughing so hard that tears seeped out of the corners of their eyes. After a few minutes, they both sat up and smiled widely at one another. The silent communication between them we easy to read, they wanted to find more mischief.

"Let's go find Kagome! Maybe she'll play with us!" Rin said excitement evident in her voice. She was still overjoyed to have the older woman there with them. It had been so long since the little girl had a woman in her life to look up to, and now that she did, she was terrified to lose her.

'_But that won't happen before my Lord Sesshoumaru loves Lady Kagome,'_ her childish mind reasoned. Nodding with a sure smile, she stood and took Shippou's hand tightly. "Come on! We have to go find Kagome." Shippou nodded in agreement and smiled as they started the trek out of the rose garden. They had been walking for almost two minutes when they saw a woman round the corner ahead of them. Thinking it might be Kagome coming to see them, they rushed at her with wide smiles. Shippou was the one to realize that something was wrong first. He held Rin's hand tightly and held her from going any farther as he stared at the servant's vacant eyes and tried to place where he had seen that dead look before. The realization hit him suddenly and he gasped as he watched the shine of the knife glint in the sun as it was thrust toward them. Pulling Rin sharply out of the way, he turned and ran with her away from the demon woman. Bushes and thorns scraped their skins as they rounded a corner and squirmed under one of the thicker, yellow rose bushes. The crouched and held their breaths, watching as the woman's feet walked past the bush and she paused. They heard her take a deep breath through her nose to try to find them. Shippou smirked. That wouldn't work; they have been in the gardens every day since the second day of being here. Their scent was all over the gardens.

'_You'll need to try a little harder than that,'_ he thought wickedly as he tried to think of where they would go after this, because sitting still was suicide. He glanced back at Rin, who was clutching his sleeve tightly and staring with wide, shocked eyes out of the bush.

"Lord Sesshoumaru will save us. He always saves Rin."

Shippou nodded at her words and smiled.

'_Kagome will protect us too.'_

….

Kagome felt the flare in aura immediately. She was on her fourth scroll of Sesshoumaru's history, reading about the battle for the rights to the western lands. She set the scroll down and concentrated for a moment. She had known that the aura was Shippou's, and it hadn't acted up in such an intense, desperate way since their last battle with Naraku. Worried, she set the scroll on a low table near her and walked out of the study. Walking out of the castle, she looked around the courtyard. Soldiers that saw her whispered to each other like teenage girls, making the black haired girl smile as she turned and headed toward the rose garden. She had been in it a few times since coming here; it was like a maze of roses of all different colors and smells. She had confessed to Rin and Shippou that she didn't want to get lost in it so she had stopped going in it with them, despite Rin assuring her that she wouldn't let the miko get lost. They relented though and had found a new place to play near a large gingko tree a few hundred feet away from the thorny labyrinth. Looking at it suspiciously now, she walked in at a slow pace and tried to feel around for the children's presence. She found it easily enough, but also felt another. It was familiar and foreign; friendly and dark. She recognized You's aura immediately, but it was being tainted by something. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. Her heart jumped into her throat and she was suddenly in a mad dash through the thick bushes. In some places the walk way was large enough for two people to stand side by side, in others it was so narrow that you had to walk single file and you would still get snagged. Ignoring the slices in her arms, she rounded a corner into a larger area and stared in horror at the dark, sinister light emanating from her friend's throat. She wondered why she hadn't felt the power of the jewel before, but pushed the thought away as she stared in horror at the scene before her.

You was standing over the children, a large kitchen knife held tightly in her hand. Her eyes, now turned to stare blankly at Kagome, were empty and soulless. Naraku had his claws in her deep. She wondered whose blood he had tainted this jewel with. Based on the darkness of the pure jewel, she suspected that he had used his own. Growling, she ran at the girl as she turned back around. She ducked around the woman, jagging her in the side, and stood protectively in front of the children as the little wolf gasped and coughed. A part of her felt bad for hurting her only friend here, but she knew that these children were her first priority. She loved them and they trusted her to protect them. So, protect them she would.

Looking back at them, she locked eyes with Shippou and he understood her thoughts immediately. Grabbing Rin's hand, he immediately turned in a large pink bubble and lifted her on top of it. Floating quickly above the garden, he landed just next to the castle entrance and popped himself. Falling to the ground first, he caught Rin carefully and immediately set her on her feet. Grabbing her hand, they ran into the castle and stopped at the hallway that led to the west wing.

"Take me to Sesshoumaru's study room," Shippou said urgently. Rin didn't say anything as she released Shippou's hand and ran in the direction of her lord's study. She was afraid, the terror still resonating through her bones and making her clumsy. She fell three times before they finally made it to Sesshoumaru's door. He already had it open when they arrived.

The demon lord took in his ward's appearance and had to work to suppress a grown. Her kimono was torn in several places and some of them bled a little. She had large tears streaming down her face and her hands were shaking like a leaf. He knelt down immediately and stared into her eyes.

"Rin, what has happened?"

He didn't expect the little fox kit to answer.

"A woman attacked us in the gardens. She had a knife and she was one of the servants. Kagome found us and told us to come and find you. The servant, she had a jewel shard in her neck!" Shippou said frantically, as he stepped forward and grabbed Sesshoumaru's sleeve. He tugged impatiently and stared at Sesshoumaru with wide, terrified eyes.

"You have to help Kagome. If Naraku has a jewel shard in the lady that means that he can hurt Kagome!"

The demon lord was gone before he could finish the sentence. Shippou and Rin gasped for breath loudly in the silent hall for several minutes before Shippou gently touched Rin's shoulder and led her toward her room. She was still sobbing loudly. It had been so long since she had been attacked that she forgot the terror of not knowing if she was going to live. It left her shaken and scared. Shippou rubbed her back gently and tried to calm her.

"Don't worry Rin, Sesshoumaru and Kagome will be fine."

The little girl could only nod.

….

Kagome ducked under the swinging knife and punched at the woman's ribs again. The attack connected, and the demon gasped for breath, but still she remained standing. With the jewel in her, Naraku could control her even if her body was unconscious. Kagome growled and dove at the knife. It swung in a large arc away from her and before she could turn to defend, the weapon sliced easily through her upper arm. Gritting her teeth to hold in the scream, she fell to the ground and held her arm awkwardly to her body. She could feel the woman getting closer to her and summoned the strength she still had left in her bad arm to push her body to its feet. Standing, holding her arm tightly to her body, she stared at the woman. The darkness of the jewel was washing over her in waves. Her powers reached out to soothe the evil away. The miasma that surrounded the jewel fought the purity angrily and the woman howled in pain as the jewel pulsed in her throat. The knife fell from her hand uselessly and her clawed hand gripped her throat desperately. Kagome stood, looking at the woman in confusion for a moment before she realized what Naraku was doing. Horror played out on her face as she rushed for the woman who was grasping her neck desperately. Kagome helped the woman lay down as gently as she could without jostling her own arm. She reached under her neck and felt for the jewel gently. The panic rose in her throat quickly and threatened to choke her as she prodded for the jewel. He had buried it lethally deep in her neck. She had been set to be sacrificed this entire time. To do whatever Naraku wanted her to do and then kill her so that she couldn't relay anything she knew on the horrid demon. Panicking, she rolled the chocking woman over and looked at her neck. She could see where the light of the jewel was shining from and after a split second thought, she plunged her finger into the woman's neck and pulled out a bloody jewel a second later. The woman's breath stopped. As quickly as she could, she used her powers to partially close the wound, enough for her to survive. Rolling her over, she desperately started to perform the cardiopulmonary resuscitations that she had learned in school. She continued to do this for several minutes before Sesshoumaru found her.

Her face had blood smears on it and her arm was still bleeding, although it had slowed down a little now. She was desperately kneeling over the little wolf demon and pressing on her chest, and after a few moments she plugged the woman's nose and breathed into her mouth. Not understanding her actions, he walked over and touched her shoulder lightly. She looked up at him with large, sad eyes that spilled over with tears that left dark tracks down her cheeks.

"Miko, the wolf is dead," he said simply, and internally flinched at the hitch in her breath as she sobbed. Kneeling down, he ripped off a small piece of his sleeve easily and tied it around her arm. He looked at the wolf, then to the knife lying uselessly near her, and finally at the blood soaked jewel lying near the miko's bent legs. He bent down and touched it, recoiling with a hiss when the dark aura of the hanyou touched his skin and burned it black. Frowning, he turned to the miko and his face softened. Kneeling down just as he had in front of Rin, he touched the side of her face and forced her to look at him.

"They were trying to hurt our pact, you did the right thing," he whispered, his beast pleased at his tenderness toward their future mate. Kagome swallowed and sniffed loudly, wiping her eyes and shaking her head.

"I didn't kill her. It was Naraku. He found a way to get the jewel in her and buried it so deep that I couldn't get it out. By the time I realized it, I had hit her many times, and Naraku must have known that I was going to win or something. He-He collapsed her throat with the power of the jewel and when I tried to get it out, it was too late. I tried to heal it, but it was too late…." He voice trailed off as she cried into her hands and shook. Sesshoumaru stared at her, in awe at how compassionate she was in that moment. This woman had been weak and had allowed herself to be taken by Naraku, and had attacked her pact, and she still tried to heal and save her. Still in shock, he gently reached out and pulled the miko's small body to his. He held her there, in his lap for a long time. Until she stopped crying and was reduced to hiccups and sniffles. Rising from his seated position, he set her down and pointedly looked at the jewel. Kagome nodded and picked it up slowly, wiping the blood from it, before her whole body when rigid and her heart squeezed painfully. Naraku snickered in her head and sneered at her.

'_Do not think you can hide from me, woman! I will come and find you, I will find the rest of the jewel and once I do, you will be mine. The demon lord cannot protect you. You are just putting off the inevitable, little miko. You will be mine.'_ As his voice disappeared, images of her next to him, chained to him, naked with him, sleeping with him; flew through her head. A hand touched her shoulder and abruptly the images were gone. Body going limp, she let out a shuttered breath before looking at the jewel in her had.It had now purified and shone brightly in her hand. Reaching under her kimono, she pulled out a small chunk of the stone. Pressing the jewel to it, it easily fit into the rest of the jewel and the entire thing shone brilliantly for a moment before dimming into a dull pink. Tucking it back in, she looked up at the demon lord and sighed. He was staring at her curiously, wondering about her strange behavior.

"I need to have my arm stitched up," she whispered as she placed a hand over the still bleeding wound, ignoring his curiosity. The adrenaline had worn off and it ached now from the ministrations to the little ookami. She had ignored it before and now it came back angrily, throbbing into her shoulder and down to her fingertips. Sesshoumaru merely nodded and led her away from the gruesome scene and out of the garden. They walked for a time in strained silence, until Sesshoumaru slowly opened the door to the infirmary and led the miko in by a large hand on her back. She let herself be guided to a bed that was raised up on a low table. Jumped onto it easily, she sat and leaned on Sesshoumaru, her head on his elbow. He allowed it and glanced down at her. Her scent and aura radiated despair and sadness, making his beast uncomfortable. He yearned to help ease these feelings away.

'_We will wait until she is treated,'_ Sesshoumaru said firmly to it. His youkai over joyed that he was even willing to soothe her, agreed immediately and watched patiently through Sesshoumaru's golden eyes as the young healer came over and looked at Kagome worriedly. Their primary healer was a small phoenix demon with bright orange hair and piercing red eyes. Golden strips adorned her cheeks and a marigold triangle sat comfortably upside down on her forehead. Her skin held the slightest, permanent tan to it and her long hair was tied into a high ponytail that hung down her back. Her name was Haruyo, but she had always insisted on being called Haru.

First, she brought a small cup filled to the brim with dark blue, watery liquid and handed it to the dazed miko. She instructed Kagome to drink all of it. Kagome obeyed and once she was done the woman took the cup from her and set it on a nearby table. Soon, a feeling of euphoria filled her veins and Kagome found that the pain was slowly disappearing. Sesshoumaru, sensing her calm down and become drowsy, looked at the healer pointedly.

"It's a mixture of ginger, mint, and the essence of poppy seed. It easy pain and causes you to sleep," she explained quietly as she made sure that Kagome was comfortable before looking at her bloody arm. She grimaced at the appendage as she peeled the stained piece of cloth off of it. It was still dribbling blood and the corners were crusted with dark, nearly black chunks where the blood had begun to dry. The woman gently cleansed and washed the wound before smearing a tincture of poppy seed on it. Slowly, the pain was replaced and numbed, just like it had been in her head. After a few moments, in which Kagome felt very little pain but a lot of tugging and pulling at her skin, her arm was sutured and she was being bandaged with soft cloth by the careful healer. Kagome found that through the haze, she liked this feisty little woman. She had spent a little time speaking with her as they had gathered herbs. The healer confessed that she had known Sesshoumaru for a long time, since they had been children. She had been brought to the castle by Sesshoumaru's father, Inu-no-Tashio, to learn healing. He had saved her from bandits in a village on the outskirts of the western territory. She had been very frightened at first and had immediately begun to cling to Sesshoumaru where ever she went. Kagome had laughed at the story, and before she had a chance to ask more, a soldier had been injured and needed her attention. She had waved a friendly goodbye to Kagome and disappeared. She hadn't had a chance to speak with her again; and now wasn't the time either.

She couldn't pay attention as Haru and Sesshoumaru spoke, she caught a few words about being groggy and needing sleep. She also heard that there was no permanent damage to her arm. That made Kagome happy and a goofy smile crossed her face that made the fire demon laugh.

"She will be dazed and loopy for some time; the tonic I gave her was strong. It will also ease the mental pain until she is ready to deal with it," the little phoenix explained as she cleaned the area around Kagome and put the discarded cup in a small bin of other dishes that needed to be washed. She looked back to Sesshoumaru with a sly smile that the demon lord knew all too well and he grimaced.

"Do not pry, woman," he growled as he carefully lifted Kagome with his one arm and turned to leave.

"I've just never seen you care so much," the woman said in a sing-song voice after the lord as he left the infirmary. The demon laughed musically at his old ways and went about her business.

Sesshoumaru heard the laugh through the walls and ignored it as he carried the near sleeping miko in his arm. Her head was resting against his chest and she found the steady beat of his heart calming. The images of Naraku early floated lazily in her mind, but the poppy and ginger was fighting off the pain that thoughts should trigger. Kagome was thankful for this; she didn't know how she was going to sleep with the awful images of his plans for her dancing in her head. Her whole body shuttered and she felt the taiyoukai's eyes on her immediately.

"I want to see the children," she said off-handedly as she tried to turn her head and look down the hall. She knew that they were near the little one's rooms and she needed to know that they were okay. The youkai looked at the determination in her previously foggy eyes and nodded, deciding that arguing with her was a losing battle.

A few minutes later, Kagome peered quietly into Rin's room and a warm smile hit her face. She and Shippou were curled up together on Rin's tiny bed, dried tears crusted on their cheeks. Satisfied that they were unharmed, she turned to Sesshoumaru and let out a small yawn. The inu taiyoukai was not surprised that she was tired; Haru had warned him that this would happen. Putting a hand on her back, he attempted to lead her toward her room. Her legs were wobbly, like wet noodles, and Sesshoumaru realized that he wasn't going to make it to her room. Lifting her up again quickly, he held her against his chest and walked quickly toward her room. She cuddled into his chest, her hands fisting the fabric of his shirt tightly. She was sick of fighting the feelings she was growing for him and the medicine took away all ambition to anyway. Nuzzling his arm gently, she yawned again.

Sliding her door open slowly, Sesshoumaru found that he was unwilling to put her down. Walking more slowly to her futon, the taiyoukai set the girl down gently and pulled the blanket over her. He ignored the quiet protests she offered with a tiny smile before he straightened and stared at her. She fell asleep quickly, her breath steady and her scent clean. The poppy seed wafted in her smell in a slightly offensive way that the demon lord overlooked.

"Sleep, miko, you need your rest," he said quietly, his baritone voice soft and gentle as he stepped around her bed and walked out of her room. O

Once in his own room, he sighed and looked out the window. The sun was low on the horizon, hugging the mountains intimately. Deciding that no more work was going to get down today, the demon lord stripped out of his day clothes and went to lie in bed. It had been a little over a week since he had slept and he knew that he would need his energy for the upcoming festivities. Sighing, he lay still under the blankets and thought about the girl in the next room. It seemed that whenever his mind had time to wander to her, it did. He thought of his own internal admission to his growing affection for the girl. He thought of Haru's words on never having seen him care so much for something. He wondered then if he cared more for the girl then he did for his quest for power. A few months ago, the lord had decided that his quest was complete. No lord or demon was stronger than he on his own; he did not count the vile half-breed since he was aided by the jewel.

Did he care more for the girl than he had his quest? His beast howled his own answer, but Sesshoumaru was not sure that was his. He remembered then the horror that the kit had triggered in him at his frantic words about Naraku hurting Kagome. Never had he felt such a strong urge for power in such a short amount of time, not as he felt the need to protect the girl in that one moment. He wondered then at the extent his affections would go. Would they eventually become the emotion of love that ningen spoke of so often? He found that this idea didn't disgust him as it usually would have. The girl was strong, holding a high place in her own society. She was intelligent and feisty, knowing how to hold her own in most situations. She was caring and compassionate; she would make a good mother to any pups that she gave him.

He stopped breathing for a moment.

Pups. Any children that they would have would be hanyous. He felt an odd twinge at the thought. While he had accepted his feelings for the girl, and had decided that not all humans were a waste of air, he was not sure that he could so easily accept the idea of hanyou offspring.

'_They will be strong though. With her incredible miko powers and your youki, there is no way that they would be weak. And is that not what you detest about half demons?" _his beast quickly supplied, fearing that he would change his mind about the girl. He was excited and happy that Sesshoumaru was finally accepting and thinking about the girl, thinking of the mate and mother she would be for him and their children. Sesshoumaru agreed with his demon, knowing that it was indeed the stereotypical half breed weakness that he was disgusted with. Inuyasha was an exception. Sesshoumaru admitted to his strength, but was irritated by his stupidity; that was why he continued to use the term half breed. He like how it irritated the boy.

Sesshoumaru realized that he was never going to get to sleep at this rate and was about to rise for a walk when he felt a familiar aura coming toward him. Confused as to what she was doing, Sesshoumaru stayed where he was and waited for the door opposite him to open. It slid open slowly, tentatively, and the girl's scent flew into the room as if part of a tornado. Sesshoumaru inhaled and basked in it as he stared with glowing eyes at the little miko walking slowly toward him. Her outer kimono layer had been shed and the light under layer was all she was wearing. It was parted in the front and gave the demon lord a nice view of her breasts. Feeling his beast growl in pleasure, he clamped iron control on him as he took another deep breath of her scent. It was frightened and it was sad. Wishing to ease the pain, he didn't say anything until she was standing at the edge of his bed staring at him.

"I… I keep seeing his face in my mind. Laughing at me, hurting me, he's inside my head Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru just nodded at her and grabbed her around her waist gentle. Lifting her, he reveled in her gasp as she was suddenly on the opposite side of his large futon. Covering her in the blankets, he lay so that he was looking away from her.

"You may spend the night with this Sesshoumaru." Many times when Rin had nightmares, she came to his room crying and asking to sleep in his room because he made her feel safe. He felt that the same strategy would work with Kagome. He was correct.

Kagome was shocked by his words, but accepted them gratefully as she snuggled under his blankets and put her hands on his back. Yawning quietly, she closed her eyes and within minutes, she was once again sleeping soundly. Sesshoumaru lay still as he listened to her breath. Rolling so that he was once again on his back looking at the ceiling, he ignored her hands as they lay on his chest and she cuddled closer to him. He shouldn't be surprised by this behavior. Sighing quietly, he closed his eyes and willed his thoughts on the girl next to him away. He was tired and merely wished to sleep.

Sleep didn't take long to achieve, within minutes he was sleeping lightly as well. Kagome still wrapped around his upper body and his fingers buried in her long, unbound hair.

A/N: Holy long chapter! Sorry this took longer to get up; I just couldn't find a place I wanted to stop it. I wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews and encouragement; it really does help with the writing. And thank you to everyone who offered criticisms. I want this to be as good as it can be and everything helps. 

Thanks again and another chapter should be up soon! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I am so sorry that this took so long to write, I was struck with awful writers block and then school punched me in the face. Anyway, here's a chapter. I can't say anything really 'exciting' happens, but it's a lot of emotional build up. Anyway, here you go and enjoy!

Wakefulness came slowly to the pale demon lord as he took a deep breathe through his nose and enjoyed the scent of his bed mate. His fingers were twined in her hair and she was half lying on his bare chest. He smirked at the thought of the miko's blushing face when she awoke and found him naked. He slowly unwound his hand from her hair and put it behind his head. He found then that he very deeply missed his second arm right then. He wanted to touch her, he wanted to hold her, and he wanted things he had never wanted before from a woman. Sighing, he pushed the thoughts away. They only gave him a headache that he wasn't willing to live with. He was content with the fact that he had admitted his feelings for her, at least to himself. Nodding slightly to himself, he smirked down at the awakening miko on his chest.

She mewled softly, her voice foggy and quiet as she stretched her fingers out. They brushed his face gently before burying in his hair and clutching it as her body went limp again and she started to fall back toward sleep. He held in a growl of pleasure as she gently tugged his hair. He could feel the pleasure begin to build in his belly and decided that it was time to stop this, lest he lose control of himself. Sighing at her, he gently moved her so that she was laying on her stomach cuddling into a pillow. She murmured unintelligently in her sleep for a moment before settling deep into the cushion and her breathing slowed down again. Sesshoumaru smiled faintly at her and turned to his small closet.

After a few minutes, he walked out in simple wear and his long, silky hair was loosely braided down his back. Casting one last, almost longing look at the miko in his bed, he walked out of his room to face the tedious work that the ceremony brought on.

….

Kagome rolled over and groped around for the bag that should be next to her futon. Her brow furrowed in irritation, the feeling only heightened by her grogginess and the sharp pain shooting up and down her arm. Her legs were twisted in blankets and her arms could hardly move without fire shooting through her veins. She growled low in her throat and was somewhere deep in her mind surprised at the sound she made. Taking a deep breath to try to calm down, she pushed the blankets back and looked around the room she was in.

"Wait," she said before her mind connected the dots from last night and a bright blush spread over her face. She jumped off of the futon and stepped backwards to look around the room. Her embarrassment slowly melted away from her face as she looked around his room. It was oddly intimate. She had always imagined that it would be as cold as he was. She had been quite wrong though. Little figurines were lined up along a shelf and he had his own vanity with a small tray of top knot tires and ribbons sitting on it. Walking slowly over to them, she touched them gently and grabbed a dark blue one. Lifting it gently, she touched the frayed sides of it carefully and smiled.

'_It must be old, from when he was younger,' _she thought, enjoying the idea of him being small. Letting the idea slip away, she set down the ribbon back where she found it and continued to look around the room. On the wall that they shared, there was a case that held his swords on a stand and his dark bone armor sat on the self below them. She walked over and winced at Tokigin's dark aura swirling around menacingly. She reached out and touched Tenseiga's hint gently. It hummed under her fingers and made her shutter. She pulled her hands away sharply and blinked. She turned and took in the other things around the room. There were also portraits all over the walls. She walked along each of them, recognizing some of them from the descriptions in the scrolls she had read yesterday.

"Yesterday," she whispered, "It feels like so long ago." She shook her head and looked to the next picture. It surprised her; it was the portrait of a gorgeous inu-woman. She had striking icy blue eyes, piercing straight through Kagome even when she wasn't even there. Kagome shuttered. Looking to the bottom of the picture, she was surprised to see Sesshoumaru's last name behind hers. Looking at her face again, she could see little signs of Sesshoumaru there.

"Oh. It's probably his mom," she said, her voice oddly void as she touched the woman's face gently. And then, she stepped away from the painting and looked around the room one last time before she went back to her own room.

Suddenly, she missed her mom dearly.

The day was slow and Kagome found that she was restless and irritable all day. She spent some time in the library, but the inu history had reached a time of peace. All the records were on babies born and grandfather's that died. She was excited to read the dates and realize that Sesshoumaru would be born soon, but that was the only real happiness that touched her today. She didn't know what had set off this poor mood, but she found that it was unshakable.

She tried spending time with the children but that only served to sharpen her irritability to the point that she needed to leave. The last thing she needed was to shout at one of them and consequently upset them. She sighed heavily as she found herself near her room. Deciding to take time to be alone, thinking that maybe it would calm her down; she loosened her kimono and walked into her room.

"Maybe a bath," she said thoughtfully as she slipped out of the outer layer and draped it on top of the trunk. Rolling her fingers over the knots in her neck and shoulders, she padded over to the yellow bag sitting next to her bed. Kneeling down, she dug through it for a washcloth. She enjoyed using the ones from home because they were softer and smelt like her room. Another ache sung in her soul and Kagome felt another sigh on her lips.

She had almost given up on finding her own washcloth when her hand brushed something odd. Brow furrowing, she grabbed the cylinder and pulled it from under all the clothes and medical kit.

Tears sprang immediately to her eyes as gripped the bottle of her favorite shampoo. It was lavender scented and she had stopped bringing it when they had crossed through a nesting area of butterfly and fly youkai. They had been so attracted to the sweet scent of her shampoo at the time that they swarmed the group and suckled on Kagome's head for a good ten minutes before Inuyasha fought them all off. She'd been soaked in saliva and her hair was knotted in some places so bad that they had needed to cut them out. Kagome had sworn from that day on that she wouldn't use that shampoo anymore, for fear of losing the rest of her hair or never being able to get the saliva stench off. She shuttered and laughed breathlessly at the thought of the god awful smell soaked into her hair again. Her hands brushed the tears away from the corners of her eyes as she stood and smiled at the bottle as she thought of her mother. Squeezing it gently, she turned and walked to the bathing area and treated herself to a good bath.

An hour later, she emerged from the bathhouse with her long hair bound up in a towel and her bare body already dried. Walking naked over to the mirror, she knelt in front of it and looked at her face. It had lost all its baby fat and blemishes in return for sharp cheekbones and creamy skin. Lifting a hand to the mirror, she touched her own reflection gently and was almost surprised by the cool touch of it. Pulling her hand back, she shook distraction from her mind and quickly got dressed. Deciding that a new kimono was a good idea, she dug through her trunk until her hands found a dark blue fabric that she knew she had seen before. Pulling it from the trunk easily, she touched the dark silk gently and smiled at the memory of Sesshoumaru's frayed little ribbon.

Pulling on the white under layer, she cast one last look at the silk before slipped her arms into it and tying it securely with a thin silver tie. Letting her damp hair hang untied today, she cast one last look at herself in the mirror and smiled as she deemed herself presentable and left her room. Trotting happily down the hall toward the pale demon's study, determination flared in her like a fire. Her bad mood throughout the day had finally been explained by just a bottle of shampoo.

She missed home. And she was going to go down the well whether the taiyoukai liked it or not.

Smirking at the idea of having to fight him to go home, she knocked gently on his door and waited for a moment and entered after an almost inaudible 'enter' from the demon. Walking in, she smiled happily at the man and sat in her usual cushions. The demon waited for a moment as he listened to her get comfortable and look at her under his lashes for only a moment before looking back at the letter before him. Once he was sure that she was done fidgeting, he looked back up at her and set his pen down. Running his fingers through his long hair and flicking it over his shoulder, he eyed the kimono she was wearing a faint smile played over his lips. Deciding he wanted to see that delicate flush on her cheeks, he smirked and sat back into his cushion.

"I enjoy that kimono on you, miko. It is my house's color and shows that you belong to my pack," he said casually as he looked her up and down slowly. He was not disappointed as a cherry tint covered her cheeks gently before she smiled shyly and fluttered her hands in front of her dismissively.

"Oh, no. I look just like anyone else would," she said quickly, laughing nervously. Sesshoumaru watched her, his eye just barely twitching as his beast thrashed and howled at the fact that he was just allowing her to insult herself. Ignoring the beast, Sesshoumaru looked down at his paperwork.

"What do you want from this Sesshoumaru, ningen?" he asked, his irritation shown in his voice. He saw under his lashes as Kagome's smile dropped and she started to fidget with her hands. He growled deep in his throat to get her to continue and smirked when she jumped.

"I-I want to go home," she said, nervous at first, but surely she gained confidence and her posture straightened. She sat tall and the determination was bright in her ocean eyes as she stared at the taiyoukai. A part of him wanted to smirk at her determination and start a fight with her just to watch the anger rise in her. Alongside that urge, there was anger and an emotion that he couldn't place and couldn't understand. It let a bad taste in the back of his mouth that made him want to growl as he turned and looked out the window at the sun that was beginning to sink into the ground. He tried to rein his anger in, but it seemed easily into his words.

"You wish to leave Nishi and return to Inuyasha's ningen village?" That was her home, as far as he was informed. She spent much of her time there and would return there when traipsing through the woods became tiresome. Was that not the definition of a home? The thought of her going back to his brother was like a brand being pressed down his throat and he felt his beast's white hot rage sizzling through his veins. He glared down at her and waited for her answer.

Kagome was too shocked for words. The anger, the jealousy that singed through is voice startled her. She gaped for a moment, looking like a fish out of water, before she gained her thoughts and words.

"What? No. My home. Through the well?" she said quietly, her brows furrowing as she tried to figure out why he was so angry. She knew that he was protective of his pack, which she was a part of now, but did anger and jealousy come with that protection? And who was he jealous of? These questions swirled in her mind so fast that she hardly had time to think about them before she was trying to concentrate on his answer. He seemed surprised by her answer, his eyes widening fractionally before the anger drown his face again and his eyes became hard.

"The well, do you mean the Bone Eaters Well near Inuyasha's village?" He scowled a little when she nodded, her face open and earnest. He could find no deceit or dishonesty there and that irked him further. He wanted to be angry at her, but he couldn't justify it if she was telling the truth. He ran a hand through his long hair and moved it over his shoulder as he looked over at her with suddenly indifferent eyes.

He watched Kagome nod honestly. "Yeah, the Bone Eater's Well. I jump down it and it… Well, it time travels me back to my era. I live five hundred years into the future," she explained, feeling desperate to soothe his anger and get it off of her. She wanted to walk over and kneel in front of his desk, to touch his face gently and smooth out all the hard anger lines there. She resisted the urge with trembling hands and stared at him. He stared back and rolled her words around in his head. They did explain all the oddities about her, from her strange manner of dress to the odd way she talked to the very fact that she could read. Slowly, the anger built up in his melted away and he was left with burning curiosity.

"This time that you come from, what's it like? Is it different from Endo?" he knew that the question had an obvious answer, but Kagome could see the underlying question in it. He wanted to know how different, in what ways, what had all changed since Endo period.

Kagome thought of the entirety of his question and sat back in her cushions and sighed.

"Well, a lot has changed. It's very different from this period, almost the exact opposite really. And there's no demons there, that I can tell at least," she said, shrugging a little as she looked at Sesshoumaru. Guilt racked her and shook her to her core. The look on his face broke her heart, even though to most there was no noticeable difference in his face. His eyes tightened and his fist twitched before clenching tightly and staring out the window. His eyes were far away and Kagome realized what she had said. He was thinking of his land, his title, the heirs he would have that ultimately now, would mean nothing. And where was he?

Giving into the urge to console him, she rose from her cushion and slowly rounded his desk. Sitting in front of him, she fearlessly reached her hand out and pressed her fingertips to his cheeks. She ran them slowly down his jawline to his chin, one fingertip gently running over his lips. Her other hand reached up and passed over his now closed eyes and she smiled as she felt the tension dissolve away and leave him relaxed. She let on hand drop and the other lingered on his forehead, ever so carefully running the pad of her pointer finger over the blue crescent moon there. She traced it gently and once done, let that hand drop into her lap as well.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about it. I didn't know it would make you sad that the demons would be gone. It was stupid of me," she whispered gently, her hand reached over to his hand and touched it gently. She touched the stripes on his wrist and heard him snort gently.

"Such a fascination with this one's stripes, little miko," he said softly, his voice almost a purr. Kagome smiled softly as she retracted her hand and smiled up at him.

"To make up for my stupid mistake, how about you come with me?" she offered in a happy voice as she reached out and took his hand. She held it tightly and her joy radiated off of her. Sesshoumaru felt a smile tug at his lips and sighed.

"I would have accompanied you there anyway, child. You are part of my pack and I am obligated to protect you," he said as he flipped her hand over gently and traced his claws over the lines of her hands. He was tired of arguing with his beast over the girl and fighting his primal urges not to touch her. She was his and he would touch her if he wanted to.

'_Besides, touching this girl, this little human girl, isn't necessarily disagreeable,' _he admitted as his claws ran up her wrist to the crease of her elbow. He enjoyed the scattered goose bumps that rose on her skin in wake up his touched and continued up her arm. He looked up at her face and was surprised when it was totally relax and her eyes were closed. She trusted him absolutely. A warm feeling spread through his belly and chest and the demon lord found that he rather enjoyed it. Pushing the thoughts of what the feeling may be away, he slowly pulled his claw away from her skin and stared at her round, pale face. She blinked for a moment, her eyes dazed and cloudy, as she tried to regain her sense of being. Looking at Sesshoumaru, her train of thought continued and her face brightened.

"No! I mean, you could come through the well with me and come see my home. I just need some new clothes and some medical supplies," she said her voice high and fast with excitement. "Oh, and you can meet my mom!" Her voice was so excited and her eyes for bright with happiness that Sesshoumaru realized that he was never going to be able to deny this woman anything that she truly wanted. He allowed a smile to cross his face for a brief moment before it was gone.

"If you wish to go home, this Sesshoumaru will allow that as well as escort you. We will leave tomorrow morning. Dress warmly, we'll be flying," he said, his voice seemingly flat. Kagome smiled though, bright and earnest.

And for a moment, she could have sworn she felt herself falling a little more in love with him.

….

Kagome woke early, much earlier than she wished she had. Groaning, she rolled over and stretched out like a cat. Letting her body fall limp, she was on the verge of falling back asleep when she remembered what they were doing today. Jumping up, she looked around and jumped at her yellow bag. Pulling it open in sheer excitement, she pulled out a pair of soft black under arm pants and a matching long sleeved top. Then, she crossed the room over to the trunk by the bathroom and dug out a burnt orange kimono with large, dark brown maple leaf designs on it, and a matching tie. Setting it all out with a matching bra and underwear, she stripped out of her bed yukata and trotted into the bath house to take a bath.

Ten minutes later, she came walking out with her head wrapped in a towel and her naked body mostly dry. Kneeling by the dresser, she finished drying her hair and threw the towel sloppily into a basket near the door. Grabbing a brush, she pulled it through her hair until all the knots and tangles were gone and it hung straight with a slight curl at the bottom. Gathering it all up on her head, she twisted it into an intricate bun and tied it with a ponytail. Smiling at her reflection, she rose and looked out into the dark yard as the sun beams started to touch it with gentle fingers that caressed it as if they would shatter the darkness. They did break it slowly through and the darkness melted away from the yard as bright light took its place. Blinking against the mesmerizing scene, she turned slowly and pulled on her under armor layer. Then, she pulled her crème under layer on before pulling the dark orange one over it. She tied it in a tight bow behind her back and glanced at the connecting door between her and Sesshoumaru's room. Walking over to it as quietly as she could, she placed her hand against the wood of the door and slid it open slowly. Peaking in, she noticed that the bed on the floor was perfectly made and empty. Walking in, she turned and looked at the wall where his swords and armor should be. The case was empty. Kagome's brow furrowed as she frowned and wondered where Sesshoumaru could be. Walking out of the room, she wandered the hall pressing and retracting her reiki as she tried to find Sesshoumaru. After a few minutes, and a stop in the kitchen for an orange, she felt him in his study. Grinning that she had found him, she walked quickly toward his study. She was about to open the door and smile when she sensed another in the room. Pressing her ear to the door, she strained her frail human hearing trying to figure out what was being said. Through the paper and wood, she heard faint voices.

"The ceremony is three weeks away and you're leaving with that ningen girl for a frivolous vacation!" Kagome knew that she had heard that voice before, but she couldn't place where it had been. And even familiar, it sounded wrong. Shaking her head gently, she listened harder.

"This is my castle, Hiyashi, remember that. I will come and go as I please. The girl is a part of our pack and she needs to return to her own home. I will not force her to stay here if she requires something from another place. And it is my responsibility to protect her. I will go with her Hiyashi." Sesshoumaru's voice was low and dangerous, something that she had not heard in a long time. She had gotten so used to the soft words and gentle tones that he had started using around her that she forgot that he was truly a monster. It made her bones cold and she shuttered to her core.

"What is this human girl to you then, Sesshoumaru? You have never treated anyone else of the pack that way, never has you shown so much affection toward another person like this. What are your feelings for her? And what are they turning into?"

Kagome blushed at the implications, but blocked all thoughts as she tried desperately to hear Sesshoumaru's answer.

"That is none of your business. What the girl and I feel for one another is our business and will stay between us." His voice was pure ice and it made Kagome swallow hard. She shouldn't be listening to this. Stepping back, she was about to turn around when air made her hair flutter and the sound of the door sliding open snapped behind her.

"Eavesdropping, miko?" The voice made her shiver as she turned around and stared at the tall demon in front of her. She remembered him now, his bright eyes piercing her like a knife. They were cold and angry, holding none of the cheerfulness that they had the day that she had met him. She took a half step back in shock and slight fear, before coming to her senses and clenching her fists.

"No, I came to get my _lord_," she threw a pointed look at Sesshoumaru, despite the fact that she wasn't made at him, "so that we could depart for my home. Rest assured though, we'll only been gone a day or two." Her smile was innocent, and cheesy, like the girls in her high school that knew they could get away with something if they just smiled. The smile only faltered when she heard the intense growl coming from the male over her. Her fists were still clenched and she was prepared to fight.

Sesshoumaru stepped in before that was necessary.

"Hiyashi, you may go. We will speak on the impending meetings when I return," he said lowly, looking at Kagome the entire time. She let her posture relax as Hiyashi gave Sesshoumaru an incredulous expression before scowling and glaring at the miko. He breezed past her without another word and Kagome let out the breath that she had been holding. She kept her eyes on Sesshoumaru until she felt Hiyashi's aura was far enough away for her to speak.

"Why are you here, miko?" Sesshoumaru's voice was still hard and angry, pointed at her dangerously. She frowned at it and tried not to glare, knowing that it would make him angrier.

"I came to get you so that we can leave. It seems now, though, that leaving is an inconvenience." The anger was clear. Sesshoumaru sneered at her and raised his clawed hand.

"Do not test me, woman. I am in no mood for it. We will depart immediately; I will have a servant get your yellow bag."

Kagome stared at him with wide eyes and didn't say anything as he brushed past her and disappeared down the hall. After he had left, she regained her senses and frowned deeply. She didn't want to fight him, she didn't want him to be angry at her and she surely didn't want to have to travel with him if he was going to be a jerk. Taking a deep breath, she decided to take a page from everything she had learned with Inuyasha. She was going to put her own anger aside and just apologize. Turning, she walked out of the hallway and toward the entrance. She looked at Sesshoumaru's back and took a deep breath as she got close to him. Standing behind him, she put her hands on his back and leaned her cheek against the soft fabric of his shirt.

"Sorry."

The tension slid from his shoulders and he just nodded before turning to her and looking down at her with molten, amber eyes.

"You are not an inconvenience, miko. If I did not wish to go with you, I wouldn't," he said quietly as he reached a hand up and touched her cheek gently. Grinning at him, she stepped back and her grin turned into a bright smile.

"Time to go?" He nodded at her and within minutes, his one arm was wrapped tightly around her waist while she clung to his mokomoko, and they were into the air.

Nishi was in the center of the western lands, and by foot it was a two day trip to the well. However, with Sesshoumaru flying it was a three quarters day trip and they arrived just as the dark was descending over the village. They could feel her former group in the area and decided not to stay long in the well clearing. Throwing her legs over the edge of the well, she offered her hand out to the demon lord and smiled expectantly. She knew that he was skeptical of the whole process, but was pleased when he slipped his hand easily into hers and walked over to the edge of the well with her. She gave him one last smile of reassurance before she fell down into the well and a deep blue light enveloped her. Sesshoumaru hid his surprise well as he jumped gracefully in with her. The blue light was warm and inviting, and it ushered him into the time where the miko had come from.

….

Naraku watched in complete rage as Kagome fell into the well and the demon lord followed after her. He had tried to go down that well many times and been pushed away by its pure magic. Why had the dog demon been able to go back in time with the miko when he could not? The hanyou squeezed the jewel so hard that he thought it would shatter, but his fury was not broken by the screams of agony from within. No, he was going to make sure that the miko got what she really deserved when she came through the well next. Releasing the jewel, he let it roll harmlessly into a small dish by his side and beckoned forward the small boy sitting in the corner of the room. His eyes, wide for a moment, soon became dim and lifeless as he walked over to his lord. He knelt in front of Naraku and waited for orders.

"Kohaku, go and find the priestess, Kikyou. Bring her here, and tell her that I have a job for her of the utmost importance. And _don't _allow her to say no, do not return if you don't have her with you."

Kohaku nodded blankly and stood erect, bowing momentarily before he left the room and went to his own small one a few doors down. He spent the next few minutes to therapeutically put on his slayer gear. As he had grown, he had needed to have them re-fitted and re-sewn, forcing Kagura to take him to other villages to have them re-sized. Fitting into the easily now, he felt a twinge of loneliness and sadness swirl in his stomach as she strapped on his mask and grabbed his chain scythe.

It was time to go.

….

Inuyasha could smell them both as he raced with Kikyou on his back toward the well. They had left Kaede's village earlier that day and were just about to settle down for the night when the cool evening air had blown their scent his way. His bastard half-brother and Kagome were nearby.

"And from the looks up it, they're near the well," Inuyasha said with a confident ring in his tone. He knew that they wouldn't be able to stand each other and that Kagome would go running back home. Just as she always had with him. He felt a twinge of guilt and sadness at the thought of the old days with Kagome in the group. There had been warmth, love, and conversation back then. They had felt like a family. Now, the clay woman that he claimed to love, who was weightless on his back, sat heavily on his heart and mind. He shook his head and pressed on as Kilala carried Sango and Miroku behind him. They exchanged a glance of doubt before Miroku spoke.

"Do you feel that she is going home Inuyasha?" Miroku asked slowly, already knowing that it was false. Even if Sesshoumaru were to abandon her or leave her behind, she would find a way to survive for herself. He had watched her grow as a person and as a fighter in the last few months of their company. He had been proud of her, proud to see her growing and getting over Inuyasha, getting over her own weaknesses. He sighed at the memories and stared at Inuyasha's back as he waited for an answer.

"Keh! Of course she went back home! Her and that bastard got sick of each other and she's running back home to cry about it. I bet in three days, she comes back and begs to be part of the group again." Again, Miroku sighed and shook his head. He knew that Inuyasha was just denying the fact that he had forever lost Kagome, and he also knew that Inuyasha deeply regretted his actions. Losing someone he had loved was bad enough, but losing her to his brother was so much worse for Inuyasha. And he didn't know how to handle it except to be a jerk and expect her to come begging to him. And that's the only way he was going to see things until the truth was shoved in his face. And a feeling in Miroku's stomach told him that the truth would be shown to him soon. Miroku gripped Sango's hand tightly for a moment before they landed and Inuyasha was sniffing around the well.

"They… They were both here, not five minutes ago," he said slowly, the truth on the horizons of his mind as he touched the wood softly and bent his nose to it. "Sesshoumaru was on the lip of the well, right after Kagome went down it. And now…." Realization hit him hard as he took a step back from the well with wide, horrified eyes.

"She took him back to her time! How could she be so stupid?" He shouted angrily as he slammed his fists down on the wood and winced when it cracked under them. Taking another step back, he turned to look at Miroku and Sango in disbelief. "Why would she do that? What the hell is she doing?" He didn't wait for an answer as he hopped over the lip of the well and waited for the blue light to envelope him.

"OW!" His shout came from the bottom after a loud crash and a string of muttered curses. Hopping back out the well, he continued this pattern two more times before Kikyou came forward and pressed her hand to his arm gently to cease his actions. He looked down at her in shock for a moment as she stepped forward and pressed a hand to the ancient wood. The magic of it swirled under her fingertips, ancient and wise, and told her many things of the world. Including the girl's lasting anger at Inuyasha. Kikyou almost smirked, but held it down as she turned to face them all with a cool, blank expression.

"The girl has not truly forgiven you. Its power is in her command, in her favor, and while she is still angry at you, you will not be able to pass through to her time," she said simply, her hand unconsciously reaching out and stroking the soul collector that floated closest to her ever graceful body. She watched in amusement as Inuyasha stared from the well to her and back at the well with an expression of disbelief and pain.

"What troubles you, Inuyasha? Did you not want the girl gone so that she would no longer hinder your pursuit of Naraku? She is gone now; does it matter where she is? Whether she is with your brother or in her time, she is no longer your responsibility. Isn't that what you wanted?" she asked innocently, almost perfectly painting misunderstanding and confusion on her eternal, pale face. Inuyasha flinched at her words and his ears drooped in sadness. When she put it like that, it made him sound like a jerk. She was right though, those had been his intentions. And that meant that he had no right to be jealous or angry now. He had given her up and what she did after that was none of his business.

'_But damn! Did it need to be my brother?'_ he thought angrily as he barked out a soft, sarcastic laugh at the thought and sighed. He was angry and jealous of his brother, something he thought he would never be. And it torn him up a little bit, but he knew that he couldn't do anything about it now. Leaving her behind was giving her up, and she was no longer his to boss around.

He just hated whose she was now.

Sighing, he turned his back on the well and started toward the forest.

"Inuyasha, where are we going?" Sango asked, jogging after him to keep up. She stared at his back and stared up at the first dash of stars to light the sky.

"To the Western capital of Nishi. In a few days, we'll see Kagome there. Then, we can all talk," he said, his voice and tone more mature than Sango and Miroku had ever heard it. They also heard the sadness and loneliness there though. And with him, as they walked away from their friend in the dark shadow of her reincarnation, they felt their own hearts break a little bit.

….

Kagome smiled as Sesshoumaru helped her out of the well and raised his nose to the wind. They had been in the open and now they were in a small wooden shack of sorts, and the smells coming from outside were no pleasant. Scowling down at her, he waited for her to explain the strange smells that filled the air. She sighed and tried to smile as she answered his unspoken question.

"It's a different time Sesshoumaru, I told you that. Just remember that nothing here is dangerous. If you think it is and you see me acting normally, then don't worry. This time is very different," she repeated again as she took his hand and led him up the steps of the well house and slid the door open. It was the middle of the night here, nearly one in the morning, and the whole shrine courtyard was bathed in the silver light of the full moon. It was bright on the first signs of dew on the leaves and washed the area in black and white. Kagome smiled softly at the scene and led Sesshoumaru out of the house and into the yard. Sesshoumaru took in the noises and smell, but also the sights of her home. This was the place that she had been raised, that she had grown and become a person. He found it oddly enjoyable to image her small, like Rin, running around this yard and this place dressed in childish dresses and kimonos. He smiled softly in the moon bathed darkness before his eyes caught a sight he didn't expect to see.

He released the girl's hand and walked slowly over to the ancient tree standing proudly in the middle of the yard. Kagome watched him go with a sad expression as she followed him, and put a hand on his back gently.

"It is the only thing of the time that survived, besides the well. The Goshinboku is strong and resilient, it refused to die. Even when your time was being threatened by utter destruction, it lived and served to connect me to the past, to your present. It saved me, just like the well," she said softly as she reached her own hand out and touched the rough bark gently. The power, ancient and steady, was strong beneath her fingers and made her shutter. She ran her fingers down the trunk of the tree for only a moment before withdrawing her hand and smiling fondly up at the branches of the tree.

"When I was young, probably six or seven in human years, I wanted to climb this tree more than anything in the world. Grandfather told me not to though, that this was just as much an ancient relic to be preserved as the ones he collected. I begrudgingly agreed for a long time before finally one day, the urge called to me so strongly that I couldn't deny it. I snuck into the yard while Grandpa was with visitors and I started to climb the tree. I made it a fair way up until I heard his yell at me from across the yard.

It startled me and I lost my footing. I fell from the tree and landed on my back. My mother told me later that I should have died, and that she thought I did. I had split my head open and my back was broken. I wasn't moving at all. She said that by the time she got to me, though, the bleeding had stopped and my head had healed. My back was stiff, but no longer broken. I could move, and talk, and walk. I had a little bit of memory loss, but she said that was typical of hitting the ground so hard. She said she was just thankful that I was alive.

From that day on, she knew I was different, special, and that I had unknowingly called on the powers of the tree to save me. She said, "The fates have something great planned for you, dear, it was shown to me when I was pregnant with you in a vision from the Kami. You were not meant to die that day, and the tree saved you because it knew of your destiny." For a long time, I laughed at her and told that it was crazy. I didn't have my own explanation for what had happened, but hers just seemed too crazy.

Looking back on it now, I know that she was correct. Because it was this tree that Inuyasha was pinned on. It was this tree that connected me to your era when Hyouga, the moth demon, threatened to destroy it. This tree, the Tree of Ages, saved me because it knew that I was needed for later. That I had a purpose that only I could fulfill," she turned to Sesshoumaru, her smile ghost-like in the moonlight, so captivating that Sesshoumaru almost gasped, "And it was right."

She didn't know why she had told Sesshoumaru that story. Part of her felt the need to share some of her own history since she was reading his, but another part of her just wanted him to know her. To know where she had come from and what had shaped her into whom she was now, standing in front of him. That was the whole point of bringing him here, to show him who she was. She smiled at the idea of him getting to know her and took a step toward him. Standing on her tip toes, she kisses each of the stripes on his left check gently. She knew now what her destiny was, in that moment as she stood in front of the Goshinboku with the silver taiyoukai, and it struck her so true that she could hear it ringing in her ears as it resonated through her mind. She was destined to kill Naraku that much she knew was true, but she was also destined to be with this man in front of her; this cold, cruel, demon of a man who had shown her kindness when she had been lonely and shared his bed when she had been scared. She knew that she had fallen in love with him; she had stopped fighting it the night she had crawled into bed with him. Love was a beautiful thing that she was lucky to have found. It was an insult to the gods to fight and deny the love that they had given to her. And so, she accepted it and in this silver bathed moment, she had never felt so right.

Sesshoumaru stared down at her, his eyes sliding shut in content as she stood high on her toes and kissed his cheeks gently. He had taken many lovers in his many years of life, but never had he been with a woman as tender and gentle as the one before him. And he knew, in that split second, that he would never have another woman again. This little onna, who was now standing and looking at him curiously, was the only woman he was ever going to allow touch him in such a way again. This little miko would someday be his, and only his. He could feel his beast's jubilance flowing through his veins like a drug and he felt his molten eyes soften as the look in her appearance. Leaning forward, he watched her eyes flutter before closing and waiting. Their faces were centimeters apart, their noses touching gently and their lips barely touching at all. He could taste her, and feel her, and feel everything that was her. And his resolve was gone.

He pressed his mouth hard against her before feeling her recoil and wince. Her lip was swollen immediately and blood dribbled down the curve of it. Guilt rushed through him and made his eyes freeze. He reached a hand out and cupped her face gently as she began to laugh nervously and flutter her hands around for something to dab it with.

"Hold still, little one," he said softly as he flicked his tongue out over her bottom lip. It took all his strength and control not to take her mouth again when she gasped and her warm breath and scent shuttered over his skin. He licked her lips twice more before pulling back and looking her taste around in his mouth. Her scent did not to her any justice. Her blood was sweet and tangy, giving warmth and fire all at the same time. He wanted more, but he denied himself the pleasure as he watched her face fill with color and her eyes slowly flutter back open. They fixed on him immediately and rather than the usual, embarrassed ramble, he got something much more pleasant. A soft smile and a hand slipped in his.

"Thank you."


	7. Chapter 7

Morning came much too quickly for Kagome and she groaned into her down pillow as she snuggled closer to it and started to drift back to sleep. Nightmares of Naraku still plagued her dreams and had her waking in cold sweats often through the night. She cracked her eyes open quickly when she felt a figure sitting near her bed. Her arm ached dully. Despite the fact that her miko powers advanced her healing, the slice in her arm still hurt. Knowing that she needed to at least remove the stitches, she stretched once more and yawned. Opening her eyes, she felt her breath leave her body. Sesshoumaru was sitting on her floor, his knees bent toward his chest and his one arm draped over them casually. His head was bent back and his eyes closed, his face was alert though and Kagome could tell he was awake. Knowing it was rude to keep him waiting her; she sat up amongst her pillows and blankets and stretched loudly. Letting her arms fall back to her sides, she glanced back at the still unmoved Sesshoumaru before rising and padding over to her dresser. She pulled out all new clothes before she walked out of her room and toward the bathroom. It didn't take her long to change out of her soft night clothes and into jeans and a T-shirt. Winter had just set in, right on fall's heels, and the chill in the air hit her bones quickly. Shuttering, she brushed her teeth quickly before walking out of the room and back to her own. Pulling out a plain, baby blue hoody, she pulled it over her head and looked back at Sesshoumaru. He hadn't moved an inch.

Walking over to him, she knelt in front of him and tentatively reached out her hand to touch the demon's cheek. He caught her hand easily and smirked at her before opening his eyes.

"Good morning, little miko," he said quietly as he released her hand and stared at her slightly flushed face. She jumped back and half-heartedly glared at him.

"You could have told me you were awake," she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You should ask before you touch someone," he fired back easily, a smirk playing on his lips as her glare intensified and all she did was huff.

"Well, come on, I have to go shopping for a few things today and then we'll eat with my family and we might stay tomorrow. I haven't decided yet," she said as she offered her hand to help him up without thinking. He ignored it. As much as touching her pleased him, the idea of allowing her to help him stand off the ground was too much for his pride to take. Looking at her expectantly, he didn't expect a troubled expression to cross her face. Before he could ask though, his hand was seized by hers and he was being led forcefully from the room. He followed her without a word down the stairs to the small tea area she had explained to him last night, and into the kitchen. There, a ningen woman in her mid-forties stood with her hair tied back in a small ponytail and a crème apron wrapped around her upper body. When they entered the room, Kagome released his hand and walked over to her as the woman turned around.

The resemblance between the two was shocking and Sesshoumaru knew immediately that this was the girl's mother. He watched impassively as they hugged and offered short greetings to one another before Kagome caught her mother eyeing Sesshoumaru curiously.

"Oh, how rude. Sorry, mama, this is Lord Sesshoumaru of the western lands. He'll be staying while I'm here. I had to leave Inuyasha's group and have been with him for nearly two months now. He's Inuyasha's half-brother," she introduced as she grabbed Sesshoumaru's hand and pulled him forward. He followed without protest and allowed her mother to shake his hand once Kagome released it.

"It's very nice to meet you, Lord Sesshoumaru, my name is Himeko Higurashi. Thank you for taking my daughter under your wing. Now, what do you like to eat? I'll make it for dinner tonight," she said happily as she wiped her hands once on her apron and turned to continue making a small lunch. He peered at it curiously before switching his gaze to Kagome. She had followed his eyes and smiled at the question lying there.

"It's for my little brother, Souta. He's twelve and started seventh grade this year." Sesshoumaru nodded at her explanation and looked around the strange room that they were in. Kagome had explained that it was a kitchen, and he had scoffed, this looked little like a kitchen to him. He watched now, in ill-concealed awe, as the woman moved about the kitchen and cooked. She turned a dial type thing and fire was instantly there. Turning another knob, she called water from a pipe and filled a strange, ill smelling vessel with it before turning the water off and putting the vessel over the instant flame. He vaguely noticed that Kagome was no longer in the room, but was too amazed by the technologies of this era to wonder where she was. He watched as she continued to bustle around the kitchen and was about to leave when she stopped and stared at him.

"Uhm, Lord Sesshoumaru, will you get the vase on the top of the shelf. I stored it up there to get it out of the way without thinking about needing it again," she aside nervously as she wrung her hands on her apron. Sesshoumaru quirked a brow at her before walking over and easily grabbed the glass vessel from the top of her cabinets. Handing it to her carefully, he watched as a bright smile crossed her slightly wrinkled face. It was strikingly like Kagome's, yet it lacked the fire and passion behind it. This woman's was weighted by ancient grief and loneliness. Sesshoumaru wondered idly what had caused such emotion in the woman, but didn't have time to think about it much before Kagome re-entered the room with a bag slung over her arm and a set of keys in her hand. She smiled at her mother and half hugged her gently.

"I'm taking Sesshoumaru shopping in town, mama. But," she paused for a moment and looked Sesshoumaru head to toe sideways, before continuing, "He can't go out like that though. Could I… Borrow some of Dad's clothes?"

The sad silence that hung in the air was thick and almost uncomfortable for the taiyoukai. Kagome's mom broke it with a breathless laugh though and wiped her hands on her aprons self-consciously. She walked quickly out of the room and down a hall that Sesshoumaru hadn't been down yet. Kagome watched after her with large, sad eyes that told Sesshoumaru her every thought and sighed heavily. Turning to Sesshoumaru, she tried to smile but it came out all wrong so she let it go. Rubbing her hands together for a moment, she shook her head and looked at Sesshoumaru again up and down.

"Is there any way for you hide your markings? Your hair won't be a problem; I might have to tie it up though. And you need to be careful with your claws, unless you can fix those too," she said quietly as she reached her hand out and touched his soft hair gently. He made another deep purr in his chest and Kagome smiled softly. She pulled her hand back quickly when her mom returned with a shirt and a pair of pants. Behind her, Souta walked in holding a dusty pair of shoes and yawning. Kagome walked over and ruffled his hair gently, smiling a little more now when he smiled up at her in excitement.

"Sis! You're home. It's good to see you. Who's this? And where's Inuyasha?" he asked excitedly as he set the shoes on the table and hugged her. Sesshoumaru stiffened at the name of his younger brother and flexed his hand tightly. Kagome noticed and smiled reassuringly, trying to calm him.

"This is Lord Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's brother. Inuyasha couldn't come this time, sorry," she turned to Sesshoumaru with a bright smile and guided her brother forward gently. "Sesshoumaru, this is my brother, Souta."

Souta threw his hand out politely and held it in the air until Sesshoumaru clasped it, careful of his claws, and shook the tiny ningen hand once before letting it go. Souta smiled and turned to Kagome.

"I'm going to school, with you be at dinner? I'm bringing a friend that I want you to meet," he said, his words fast. Kagome smiled affectionately at the smaller boy and nodded. He nodded back and walked around her and to the counter. Grabbing his lunch, he kissed his mother on the cheek and left for school. Kagome watched him with a smile before turning to Sesshoumaru and handing him the clothes her mother had brought down.

"Change into these, and these, then meet me in the kitchen. We have to go to the grocery store and the pharmacy."

Sesshoumaru didn't reply as he walked back up the stairs to her room. Out of the corner of his eye, he say something sparkle in the living room. Walking back down the stairs, he walked slowly toward the small alter that was in the far right corner of the room. Kneeling carefully, he stared at the photos that sat side by side. One was of a young man, handsome for a ningen, smiling gently through the glass at him. The other was of an elderly man who was caught between a grimace and a smile. He was in traditional shrine keeper garbs and holding a paper sutra. Incense had been freshly burned and some of the smoke still hung in the air. A small flower for each of the men was in a small basin of clear water. In front of the alter, there two small urns sitting side by side, one in front of each picture. Sesshoumaru could assume that the elderly man was the grandfather that Kagome had been speaking of, however, who was this other young man? Sesshoumaru stored the question for later as he stood and used his demon speed to change where he was. Spreading his youki over his body, his long silver hair bled a deep black and his stripes and markings disappeared slowly. His claws would not dull unless down manually, and he had no desire to do that, so he left them as they were.

Walking back into the little kitchen area with his regal clothes piled in his hands, he looked to where Kagome was standing beside her mother, both their backs to him. They were talking quietly as they peeled small potatoes over the sink and Kagome gently nudged her mother with her elbow. They laughed for a moment before Kagome turned around and looked at Sesshoumaru with soft sad eyes. He took in the split second that her eyes widened in shock before understanding settled in them and she smiled. Finishing the potato in her hands, she set it in a large bowl and set the other device in a strange basin that the water poured into. She kissed her mom's cheek gently before she walked over to Sesshoumaru with a small smile.

"Good job on the cover up, I'm impressed," she said pleasantly as she looked him up and down with sad eyes. He quirked a brow at her and his eyes was mocking. Rolling her eyes at him, she nodded toward the door. Grabbing her keys and purse off the table, she waved one last goodbye to her mother before they left the house.

Walking across the chilled yard, they started to descend down long flight of stairs that led up to the shrine in comfortable silence. They had to go to the bottom because that's where their garage was. It was a pain, but her mom had always reminded her that it was good exercise. She chuckled at the memories before she glanced back at the black hair fluttering in the wind and smiled.

"I like the silver better," she said casually as she reached the bottom and went to the right. The garage was padlocked and it took Kagome a moment to unlock it. Walking in, she unlocked the family car and glanced at Sesshoumaru as he stared untrustingly at it. Kagome laughed and walked over to him and patted his hand gently.

"It's a vehicle, run on oil and gasoline. You turn it on and steer it and it takes you places," she explained. Sesshoumaru glanced at her, disbelief dancing in his eyes, before he took a few cautious steps toward the strange metal contraption. Kagome laughed at him and closed her door. Relocking the car, she grabbed his hand and led him out of the garage.

"Maybe the car is a little too much to take in this visit, since it is the first, so we'll walk instead. It isn't that far," she said with a smile and a little giggle as she padlocked the garage once more and grabbed the icy demon's hand. Walking away from the stairs and the forgotten car, with her hand locked in his, she smiled happily. Looking back at Sesshoumaru, she giggled like a school girl and walked in silence with the man that she was falling in love with. Sesshoumaru glanced down at her with unreadable eyes before he smirked and squeezed her hand.

"So, this is the first of other visits?" he asked casually. This place made him relax, he had no title here and no one was looking up at him. He had no reason to hold up his icy demeanor, so he wouldn't. He allowed himself to relax and enjoy being with the miko. She looked up at him with mischievous eyes and a playful smile.

"Of course! You can't expect this to be my last visit. And if you insist on following me to protect me, then you'll have to come with me every time. Which means yes, you will be visiting more times," she said confidently as she stopped walking. Sesshoumaru took this moment of pause to look around the large village they were in. They were surrounded by tall structures and there were ningens everywhere. Of all shapes, and sizes, and ages. They milled around and walked around each other, in singles, couples, and small groups. The tall buildings were made of strange metals and glass that shone bright in the sun. The strange vehicles that Kagome had almost taken filled the streets and emitted irritating, screeching noises when cars moved around. He had yet to find a pattern to the noises. The only thing that bothered him more than the sounds was the smell. Everything smelled like toxins and poison, just as bad as Naraku's miasma. This smell was much less potent, however, more of horrible aftertaste than the actual taste. He found that after a little while, he was able to ignore it.

Kagome watched his molten eyes flicker around and smiled at him. He was behaving surprisingly well. She had expected him to freak out or hurt someone. The fact that he hadn't was definitely a welcome and pleasant surprise. What also wasn't a surprise were the amounts of women that flocked around Sesshoumaru and stared at him lustily. She felt the jealous bloom in her chest and stomach and she clenched his hand possessively. She could see the resent in a few girls' eyes next to them and she smiled. Pride rose to take place of the jealousy. Glancing back up at the tall demon beside her, she was slightly surprised why the little wave of sadness that hit her when she looked at his blank face. Standing there, as they waited for cross light to turn green, she reached her hand up and gently touched his cheek. His eyes immediately went to her and softened at the pout on her lips.

"I miss the markings too," she whispered as she looked back to the light as people around them began to move. Sesshoumaru smirked a little and chuckled.

"Such a fixation on my cheeks, little miko. Why is that?" he asked as she began to walk again and he walked alongside her. She pondered the question for a moment as they passed small fast food places and antique shops that everyone over looked. People moved around them, but Kagome hardly noticed them. Finally, she looked up with an envious look in her eyes and a glare.

"I don't have them. I kind of wish I did, and claws and fangs. People see me as a human and assume I'm weak, and even when they find out I'm a priestess they assume that I can't defend myself. Maybe if I was a little more menacing looking, people would take me seriously," she said with a shrug. Then, she looked at him with a little, shy smile and added, "That, and they're uniquely yours. From all the demons I've seen in Nishi, I've never found any with the same as yours. Not even Hiyashi has ones similar to yours." Sesshoumaru nodded after a moment and released her hand to touch his face gently. He smiled at a long forgotten memory and let his hand fall. Kagome watched this with mystified eyes, but the look in Sesshoumaru's made her stop herself from asking. Shaking her head, she smiled and stopped walking.

"First, the pharmacy."

The automatic doors opened with a mechanic whir and Sesshoumaru was immediately assaulted by the strange smell of foreign herbs and an odd, toxic smell. He wrinkled his nose in distaste and looked down at the little human next to him. She smiled and grabbed a strange, green basket and walked away from him. He walked slowly after her, eyeing all the strange white bottles lining the shelves. Picking one up one of them, he smelled it carefully and tried to place the strange material it was made out of. Giving up, he placed it back in its place and continued to look around the store that Kagome had taken him into. He noticed that some of the bottles were filled with little round objects that he didn't know the name of, others with strange liquids that smelled awful. He could recognize some of the medications. Fish oil was in little capsules, they had used it in his time to relieve the burn of a fire. He suspected now that perhaps that was the improper use seeing as the bottle read 'FISH OIL CAPLETS: LOWERS YOUR CHOLESTEROL'. The demon lord wondered for a moment what this cholesterol was, but brushed the question away as he set the bottle down and looked at the miko coming toward him. She had a basket filled with bottles and a few strange tubes of things. She had a cheery smile and bright eyes.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked happily, the basket slung casually over her arm. Sesshoumaru eyed the things in her basket and then touched it gently.

"What is this made of?" he asked curiously, as he ran a claw over the material gently. It cut and flaked the green material easily. Kagome watched and swatted his hand gently, her face kind of stern. He growled low in his throat and clenched his fist gently, his knuckles popping menacingly. Kagome squared her shoulders and pointed her own menacing finger at him.

"Oh no, you don't. This isn't mine and if you break it, I have to pay for it. Now, it's a sort of flimsy material called plastic. It's man made," she explained as she shifted the basket out of his reach and turned her back to him. "C'mon, we have to pay for this and then go to the grocery store. Since you never told my mom what you wanted, I'm just going to get some stuff so that she can make her classic beef stew." With that, she walked to a low counter and set her basket on it. A bored looking, teenage human took the bottles and tubes from the basket and ran it over a strange machine that flashed a red light over them before beeping. Sesshoumaru twitched after the third beep and Kagome patted his hand gently below the counter before giving the teen a twenty dollar bill and grabbing the bag filled with her purchases. After a moment, and a short string of curses from the teen, she was giving her change and they departed from the pharmacy.

Fifteen minutes later, they walked through another set of doors into a large building filled with food and the same plastic that the basket had been made out of. He watched as large versions of these plastic baskets rolled around as people pushed them. He didn't ask this time and just followed Kagome as she grabbed another basket, this time it was red, and walked down the aisles. She grabbed strange boxes made of what smelt like heavy paper and threw them in her basket. She grabbed strange cylindrical vessels made of a metal smelling material. He didn't ask what she was buying or what it was made of because he didn't really care, he just enjoyed watching the look on her face when she held a product and tried to decide if she wanted it or not. Eventually, she would either throw it into the basket among other things or replace it back on the shelf. After about half an hour, she put the basket on a strange moving platform and another person at the end of the moving strip shone another red light over the products and it beeped each time again. Sesshoumaru sighed and ignored it as Kagome smiled at him apologetically and paid this cashier as well. Grabbing as many bags as she could, she turned to Sesshoumaru with pleading eyes. He smirked at her, and took a few of the strange bags in his hands. He knew it was worth it to help when he looked at her breathtaking smile.

It took them half an hour to get home and they chatted pleasantly the entire way. By the time they got home, Kagome realized she had never heard him speak so much, and she had never heard him talk with such little ice in his voice. He chuckled and he smirked, he poked fun at her and talked seriously, deeply, in a way that she had never thought possible for the demon lord. It made her smile, and her heart fluttered when he looked at her.

Upon returning home, she opened the door and was hit by the smell of cookies in the oven. Sighing in heavenly bliss, she walked into the kitchen and put the plastic bags on the kitchen table. She gave her mother a hug before telling her of their adventures in the city. Himeko nodded at her daughter's words but looked out of the corner of her eyes and watched the way the demon lord stared at his daughter. She smiled knowingly before returning her eyes to her oldest child and patting her arm.

"Sounds like fun, dear. I'm just glad that it didn't rain today," she commented as she pulled open a strange contraption that heat swelled out of. Sesshoumaru looked at it and decided that he knew what it was. It was a fireplace; he could smell the cookies baking from within it. And odd sense of pride swelled in him that he was able to decipher the use of one of the girl's future devices. He smiled a little and hid it when said girl turned to him.

"Let's go upstairs and get everything ready. We're going to leave tomorrow morning, after breakfast." With that, she grabbed one of the bags from the group and carried it up the stairs. From the sound of liquid sloshing and little capsules rattling, he was sure that the bag was from the first strange store that they had been at.

"Miko, that first place that you took me, what was it? What did it sell?" he asked, realizing he had never figured it out. Kagome looked back at him in confusion for a moment before she laughed and opened her door. Emptying the back next to her large yellow one, she balled up the strange material and tossed it into a small bin. She answered as she sorted the bottles into unknown categories.

"It was a pharmacy, a place where healers sell their medicines and treatments and tinctures. You see, in this time, doctors and healers have found ways to isolate the herbs and medications that heal certain illnesses and diseases, and then they condense them into pills," she held up a bottle filled with the little capsules, "and liquids," she held up a bottle of bad smelling liquid them before tossing it into a small bag's only pocket. "I find that bringing my own medicine gives me a better chance to get better and help other people get better." She shrugged as she read another label before throwing it into the same pocket. Sesshoumaru nodded in understanding as he went and sat in the chair and stared at her.

"Miko, may I now change out of this ridiculous garb?" As soon as Kagome nodded her was back in his original clothing and his markings bloomed back on his face. He sighed, almost happily, and flicked his silver hair over his shoulder. Kagome smiled and once she had finished putting mediations and bandaging in the medium bag, she pushed it into her large yellow bag with some of her clothes. It was quiet in her room for a little while before she set her packed bag on the floor and turned to Sesshoumaru. He was staring at her patiently; the clothes had been wearing folded neatly on the desk beside him. With a sad smile, she grabbed them and was about to leave the room with them when Sesshoumaru's voice stopped her.

"Whose clothes are those, miko?"

Kagome stood at the door with her back to her room and took a deep breath before she answered.

"They're my father's." Kagome turned and held the clothes gently, like they were the most precious thing that she had ever laid her hands on. Sesshoumaru watched this with a strange expression.

"Is he the young man who is in the picture on the small butsudan in your living room?"

"Yeah, he passed away when I was seven years old, just a little bit after I fell out of the tree. He got hit by a car on the way to work one morning," she said, careful to keep her voice detached as she moved her hair out of her face. Sesshoumaru looked at her and after a moment nodded before he turned his eyes to the window and looked away from her. He listened as she left and waited for her to come back.

It didn't make sense to him why she would be even remotely attached to something that belonged to her deceased father. His father had died and the only reason he had ever gone after anything of his father's was because he didn't think his whelp of a brother deserved it. He turned to look at her when she entered and enjoyed that a smile had returned to her face. She was holding a small pile of clothes that she set on the end of her bed before she fell onto it with a heavy sigh. Rolling over on her side, she propped her head up with a hand and stared at the demon lord.

"Can I brush your hair?" she asked suddenly. Sesshoumaru quirked a silver eyebrow at her as curiosity about her question filled his mind.

"Why do you wish to brush this one's hair?" He was amused by her inquiry; it wasn't something he expected to hear from her. In demon society, it was normal for two mates to brush each other's hair. It built trust and brought the two closer together. It was unusual for two non-mates to do such with one another. His beast surfaced for what seemed like the first time in days.

'_She is our future mate, so it is acceptable for this to happen,'_ his voice was oddly stern and left no room for argument. Sesshoumaru, wishing not to argue, agreed with his beast as he waited for the miko's response. She was blushing madly at the realization of what she had asked and she fumbled for a good answer.

"Well, it looks soft and I imagine that it must be hand to brush it on your own since it's so long and I just love it," she blurted out frantically. Her breath stilled and her heart stopped, before it started to flutter like a hummingbird. "I mean, I-I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I just, I just want to."

Sesshoumaru felt his beast's joy fill him, and realized after another moment that he was happy too. It was nice to know that the miko found him enjoyable to look at. After a moment, he nodded at her and watched her sigh in relief. She was glad he hadn't been offended by the question and jumped off her bed and scrambled to her dresser to grab a hair brush. Pointing at the foot of her bed, she sat behind him and slowly ran the brush through his hair. It was just as soft as she remembered from the first time she had touched it. She smiled softly as she continued to brush the silky locks and they settled into a comfortable silence. She giggled under her breath when she heard the content purr rumbled through his body and vibrate against her knees where they touched his back.

"Miko, this Sesshoumaru is curious about something," he said through growls as she set the brush down and moved away from him. She hadn't wanted to stop, but she knew that dinner was going to be soon and she didn't want her mother to come in and see them like that. She would jump to conclusions that weren't true and that was the last thing Kagome wanted. As much as Kagome was falling for the man in front of her, she knew that he would never feel the same. He might like a nice rut with her, but he would never marry her. She was a human, and a miko at that. A demon would never mate or marry a human. As well as the fact that he was all about the preservation of his bloodline. Kagome didn't want her mother getting her hopes up. Just like she was trying not to get her hopes up. She knew that it was too late though. With a sigh, she slid off her bed and tried to smile.

"Yeah?"

Sesshoumaru took in the sadness in her scent and tried to figure out what had caused this sadness. Ignoring the thought, he looked at the girl's bright blue, vast eyes.

"Why do you choose to live with me? There are so many conveniences in this time that my time cannot offer you. So, why do you choose to live in my time?" He was honestly confused by this. Why someone would leave this time was beyond him. Most diseases could be treated and water and fire were on hand at any moment that one would want it. What did his era possibly offer her?

Kagome was slightly taken aback by his question. She thought about the best way to answer before a ghost of a smile touched her lips and she shrugged.

"It's clean there. I can see the stars there. And, I have to work there. I have to earn what I want and people need me there," she smiled a little wider at the thought of the era she loved and shrugged again, "I'm destined to be there." _'And you're there,'_ her mind whispered softly, before Kagome shut the little voice away and mentally slapped herself for even thinking that. She stared innocently at Sesshoumaru as he processed her answer and tipped his head to the side. Then, he nodded as he accepted her answer. Kagome was about to ask what he thought of this era when her mother's voice floated up the stairs.

"Kagome, it's time for dinner!"

Kagome smiled and seized Sesshoumaru's hand as she dragged him down the stairs and to the table. The smell of beef stew swam around the air and Kagome could feel herself drooling as she sat at the table and patted the seat next to her. Sesshoumaru took it gracefully and looked at the meal before him. It smelt delicious, and Sesshoumaru was surprised that he thought of ningen food as smelling good. Deciding that it couldn't hurt to eat it, he took a small soup spoon and dipped it into the semi-think broth and sipped it. It was as good as it smelt. Kagome glanced out of the corner of her eye and smiled when she saw him eating. Relaxing, she started to eat as well.

Dinner went well, the conversation and food was pleasant and Kagome was happy when he mother talked to Sesshoumaru and he talked too. Once it was over, Kagome offered to help her mother clean the dishes and she smiled at Sesshoumaru.

"You can hang out in my room if you want," she offered lamely, smiling apologetically as she gathered the bowls off the table and set them in the sink. Sesshoumaru merely nodded and walked up the stairs to her room. Kagome watched him go with a smile before turning to her mother and handing her the left over stew. As her mother began to pour it into a plastic container, she ran the hot water and started to pour soap on a sponge.

"I see the way you guys look at one another, you know," Himeko said casually as she snapped a lid on the container and slipped it into an open space in the refrigerator. Kagome, startled by the statement, dropped a dish into the soap water and let out a tiny scream when soap and water splashed her. Grabbing a towel, she wiped the sudsy liquid away as she stared at her mother.

"Excuse me?"

Kagome's mother gave her a knowing smile before she dug a dish out of the water and started to clean it. "I see the way you two look at each other. The affection there, I can see it growing into love. He looks at you with such tenderness and devotion, I'd be surprised if he didn't already love you," she explained as she rinsed the dish and set it on the drying rack. Kagome looked at her mother out of the corner of her eye as she returned to her half of the sink and sighed.

"Mom, that's crazy. There's no way that he likes me like that. He's so-so, royal and besides, he doesn't date humans," she said as she set a few glasses on the rack and started on a large dinner plate that had held sour dough bread. Her mother chuckled at that and shook her head.

"Dear, social status means nothing when it comes to love. You'll see that soon though," she looked at her daughter with sparkling brown eyes, "Just wait and see." Kagome sighed at her mother's words and half smiled.

"Whatever you say, mom," she said as she dried her hands and smiled at her. "I'm going to go and get some sleep; we're leaving tomorrow after breakfast. I know it's a short visit, but a big event is happening in Nishi for Sesshoumaru and he really needs to get back home." Her mother nodded understandingly before hugging her daughter.

"Don't give up before you even try, dear. Give him time to understand his own feelings, because I know they're there," she pulled back and winked, "Mother's intuition." Kagome laughed at her mother's words and nodded.

"Okay, mom," she said before she turned and trotted up the stairs. Entering her room, she looked around and tried to find the silver demon lord. Brows furrowing, she walked over to her closet and peaked inside. Not finding him, she huffed and pouted.

"Sesshoumaru, where are you?"

"Right here, miko." Kagome jumped out of her skin and screamed quietly when the demon lord was suddenly next to her. Heart racing, she put a hand on her chest and looked at the demon lord angrily.

"What did I say about scaring me like that?" she demanded as she stood up on shaky legs. Sesshoumaru raised an amused brow at her and chuckled.

"I don't remember a thing," he said innocently as he took an intimidating step forward. He raised a clawed hand and touched her cheek gently. Beneath her soft skin, he could feel her pulse beating frantically and he smiled. Kagome looked up at him with wide oceans and couldn't hold back. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled her body to his. Their lips connected and fire spread through her lips and down her face and body. Her hands buried in his silky hair, messing up the locks that she had brushed not an hour ago. His arm curved around her waist and held her off her feet as he returned the kiss. He was more careful this time, not wishing to hurt her with his fangs again. He allowed himself to be melted in the kiss, feeling and tasting and taking all of her in that he could. She did the same, straining against him to take in more. The fire that spread through her made her desperate for more and she didn't even realized she needed air until Sesshoumaru pulled away and she was gasping for her. Her lips were swollen from the kiss and her hair slightly ruffled, and her eyes were ever so slightly glazed over with a fog of passion. If he didn't have iron control on his urges, he would have taken her right then and there.

But he didn't. He slowly set the miko on her feet and stepped away.

"We seem to be doing that more and more often," she said quietly, a small smile gracing her lips. She reached out and touched his strips carefully, smiling as he turned his face and kissed her palm. She giggled and pulled her hand back and ran it through her hair.

"I'm going to take a bath and then we're both going to get some sleep. Tomorrow, we'll eat a quick breakfast and then go back," she smiled playfully, "And then we can work on the ceremony preparations." Sesshoumaru growled at her in a half threat before she giggled and stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek gently. Brushing past him and out of the room before he could reply, Kagome entered her bathroom and prepared for a nice, long bath.

An hour later, Kagome entered her room with a towel wrapped around her head and light blue pajamas on her now relaxed body. She had removed the stitches before her bath and re-bandaged the injury in clean gauze. Ruffling her hair in the towel one last time, she tossed it into her laundry bin and looked at the demon sitting cross legged on her floor. She smiled at him and yawned quietly as she wiggled under her blanket. Peeking out from under her blankets, she stared at his unmoving face and a question bubbled on her tongue.

"Do you ever sleep, Sesshoumaru?" she asked, a sleepy tone tinting her voice. Sesshoumaru turned his head to stare back at her and smirked.

"Of course I do, I have to survive. Just like any creature," he said obviously as he closed his eyes again.

"Do you want to sleep up here?" she asked meekly. She didn't want another night of nightmares and when she had slept in Sesshoumaru's futon in Nishi, the nightmares had fled and left her at peace for a night. She needed a good night's sleep and the idea of sleeping in the same bed as Sesshoumaru definitely wasn't something she was going to object to. She squirmed over so that her back was against the wall and pouted sleepily. Sesshoumaru sighed, knowing that he couldn't deny this woman was she wanted and rose in a swift movement.

Throwing the blankets back for him, she cuddled into her pillow as he settled himself in her bed and she pulled the covers back over him. Resisting the urge to snuggle into the taiyoukai, she settled for her blankets and sighed sleepily.

"G'night, Sesshoumaru," she slurred as the heavy fog of sleep settled over her. The demon lord smirked at her and brushed her hair gently out of her face.

"Good night, little miko."

….

Kagome woke slowly, the dull sun shining through the curtains of her window. She stretched out like a cat and winced at the pain in her arm. Groaning, she rolled over and threw her arm over the hard, warm object sitting in bed next to her. Peeling her eyes open, she stared at Sesshoumaru dully for a moment before her eyes brightened and she sat up.

"Good morning!" she said cheerfully as she stretched her arms out and turned to him. Bending down, she kissed his cheek happily before crawling over him and padded across the room. Pulling out a clean pair of clothes, she looked back at him nervously before she shook her head at some unknown thought and left the room. Sesshoumaru watched her go and shifted out from under her blankets. Out of sheer force of habit, he fixed the bed perfectly before he sat on it and waited. The minute came back within a few minutes dressed in a pair of jeans and two shirts. One was long sleeved with a shorter sleeved one layered over it, and she had a sweatshirt in her hands.

"When we get back to Nishi, I can put a kimono on again," she said as she threw her pajamas in her laundry bin before she grabbed her bag and glanced at Sesshoumaru. Looking at her bed, she smirked and sighed. "Come on, let's go eat breakfast and then go."

Sesshoumaru nodded as he rose from her bed and followed after her down the hall and down the stairs. They went straight into the kitchen after Kagome dropped her bag near the door. She hugged her mom quickly before grabbing an orange off the counter. Peeling it easily, she popped a slice in her mouth and chewed before she began to speak.

"We've got to go, mama. I'll be home, eventually. I can't come home as often now, we aren't at the village ever. So, when I can I'll come home," she promised as she half hugged her mom one last time. Her mom smiled and hugged her back.

"Okay, dear, be careful. You know how much I worry when you're gone," Himeko said softly before she released her daughter and smiled. Kagome smiled back before she walked over to Sesshoumaru and nodded. She was about to lead him out of the room when her mother spoke up.

"Ah, Kagome, you go ahead. I need to speak to Lord Sesshoumaru for a moment. He can meet you at the well," she said with a smile as she walked over to Sesshoumaru and looked at him. Kagome glanced between them and narrowed her eyes for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Okay, mama. Meet me out there, Sesshoumaru," she said suspiciously as she heaved her bag onto her shoulder and walked out of the house. As soon as her mother knew that she was gone, the older woman turned to Sesshoumaru with surprisingly sharp eyes. Sesshoumaru watched her sharply as well, wondering why she was looking at him so. Then, she smiled softly and put a hand on his arm.

"My daughter is falling in love with you," she said simply as she turned and started to rinse some salad. Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment before blinking slowly and cocking his head to the side. He was about to say something when she turned and looked at him with the same knowing eyes that she had looked at Kagome with.

"And you're falling in love with her too. I know, I know, you're going to deny it. Kagome already told me that you don't usually like humans, but I can tell that you love her. Despite what you might say. And I'm in full support of you two being together, but I must warn you something," at that, she turned and looked at him with one of the most dangerous looks that he had ever seen, he challenged it with a threatening look of his own. She didn't back down and just took a step forward and stared straight up at him.

"My daughter is trusting, loving, and caring. She used to fall in love very easily. And then Inuyasha broke her heart, and we were afraid that she wouldn't get over it. She came home and cried for days until one day, she came out of her room with a bright smile and she acted like it never happened. We were worried that she was just bottling it up but we were so happy to see her happy that we didn't do anything. And now she's in love with you, and I can't stand to see her broken like that again. So, if you are going to break her heart, do it now. Before she falls farther for you."

Sesshoumaru listened to this and growled at the thought of Kagome in such a state. She was so warm and bright; the thought of her being broken and sad infuriated him and his beast. He continued to look at her though and when she was done, he wasn't sure what he should say. Thinking about the miko, her smile and her smell and the way she walked, it made him want to smile. Looking back at the girl's mother, at the fierce protective look in her eyes, he nodded slowly.

"This Sesshoumaru has no intention of hurting your daughter, you have my word," he said slowly, his voice growing more sure as he spoke. He knew that he would never purposely hurt the little miko, and that he would do anything he could to keep her safe. He knew that her words were true, that the little miko was falling in love with him. She was wrong to think that he loved her as well. Yes, he felt intense affections toward the miko, and would always protect her. But was that love? A vague memory of his father floated through is head before disappearing and leaving Sesshoumaru wondering if he would ever love the girl. Kagome's mother smiled knowingly and patted his cheek gently. Sesshoumaru moved away from the touch and walked toward to door.

"Take good care of her, Sesshoumaru-sama. She needs it," came Himeko's voice softly. Sesshoumaru ignored her words and walked out of the house and toward the little shack that held the well. The miko was standing outside it, her face blank as she stared at the Goshinboku. Sesshoumaru walked up to her and she grinned when she saw him. Taking his hand out of force of habit now, she held it gently and they walked into the well house in silence. Kagome was dying to know what her mother had said to the inu demon, but she held her tongue. She knew that Sesshoumaru wouldn't tell her and that it was a waste of effort. Sliding the door to the well house closed, she stepped over the lip of the ancient wood easily and fell into the abyss. Sesshoumaru followed right behind her. The warm blue light swirled around them before the clean scent of his aura filled his nose. He sucked in a deep breath and was happy to be rid of the awkward aftertaste of the air in her time. Putting an arm around her waist, he jumped easily out of the well and they landed softly on the grass above. It was late morning in the feudal era and the sun was shining brightly through the clouds, despite the fact that it was frigid out. Frost tipped leaves and the grass sparkled in the sun, it was breathtaking.

Kagome smiled happily and took a deep breath of her own before she smiled at Sesshoumaru and dropped her bag. Walking over to him quickly, she jumped at him and pressed her lips to his in an odd burst of joy. Sesshoumaru, although taken aback by the assault on his person, eagerly returned the kiss. After a moment, Kagome pulled her head back and smiled at him.

She should be worried, she should be freaking out about developing feelings for him. She should be sad that she didn't know if they'll ever be together or be unhappy that he only wanted a good rut and not love. Right now though, she was happy that she was there kissing him and not caring if it led to something or led to nothing. When she was set down, she continued to smile and Sesshoumaru stared at her smile and her face, and her eyes and for a moment he was lost. He knew that he should worry about such blatant displays of feelings for her, for allowing her to show such affections when they were not promised to be mated and had no open intentions of being mated at that moment. But he had admitted to himself that he was falling in love with her, and he was sick of fighting the idea of being with her. She was his and he would kiss her if he wanted to, others opinions be damned. He was no obligated to explain anything to anyone that asked and he wouldn't if they did.

Kagome turned from him as she retrieved her bag and looked at the lord curiously.

"Are we flying?"

Sesshoumaru nodded slowly and held his arm out for her. She trotted over happily and stood next to him as his arm snaked around her waist and suddenly they were up in the air. Kagome clung to his arm tightly and sucked in a surprised breath. Sesshoumaru smiled and held her tightly.

"Do not fret, little one. This Sesshoumaru will not drop you," he whispered reassuringly against the wind. Kagome nodded and turned her face into his mokomoko to protect it from the wind. Sesshoumaru sighed and tightened his arm just a little more as he flew a little faster. He wished to return to the castle as quickly as they could.

Darkness had just fallen over the western lands when Sesshoumaru released Kagome and she walked a few feet on weak legs. She was tired and it felt like an entire day was gone. She blinked groggily and smiled when the children came rushing out. Shippou jumped easily into Kagome's arms as Rin stood between Sesshoumaru and Kagome. She looked back and forth between them, her face torn and on the verge of tears. Kagome realized quickly that she didn't know which one of them she was going to hug. Smiling gently, she lifted Rin into her other arm and held her up to Sesshoumaru. Her smile was wide and Sesshoumaru vaguely missed the gap where her missing tooth had been. He knew though that she was a human and that she was going to grow. He held her steady as she wrapped her arms around him while her waist was still in Kagome's arms.

"Lord Sesshoumaru and Kagome-lady are home!" Rin said in utter childlike excitement as she hugged Sesshoumaru tightly before she let go and hugged Kagome too. Rin and Shippou both did and Kagome could help hugging them back and kissing both their cheeks. Setting them down, she knelt in front of them and looked at them in mock sternness and pointed her finger at them.

"Isn't it almost time for bed for two certain little children?" she said, her smile breaking the fake authority. The children smiled at her and nodded before they each kissed a cheek and hurried off into the castle. Kagome straightened and smiled after them before she turned to Sesshoumaru and grinned. Together, they walked in silence into the castle. Sesshoumaru waited patiently as the caring miko tucked in the children and kissed them goodnight. She smiled as she rejoined him and they walked to their connecting rooms.

"So, dinner and then bed?" she offered as they started to aimlessly wander the halls. Neither of them wanted to leave but they also didn't know where to go. She glanced at the demon as he nodded and she smiled. They walked in comfortable silence to the dining room and sat with each other as they eat miso soup and pickled radishes. They chatted and laughed, but Kagome could tell that the demon lord was guarded here. She smiled though, just as happy with 'Hn' as she had been with chuckles. Taking another sip of water, she set her chop sticks down and yawned. Sesshoumaru set his own chopsticks down as well and looked out the window into the darkness where little pins of stars tore through the black blanket of the sky. Standing, he held out his hand to the miko and she took it immediately and stood. She stumbled a little and leaned on the demon. He sighed and held her up straight. He could tell that she was exhausted and that it was definitely time for her to go to bed. Leading her out of the dining room, she became more alert as they walked. Soon she could walk on her own without his help and her eyes were a little more focused.

They walked in a silence that made Kagome want to talk, but she didn't know what to say. Sighing, she gave up on what to say when they reached her room. Awkwardly they stood outside Kagome's room before she smiled and kissed his cheek gently.

"See you in the morning." Sesshoumaru caught her wrist just as she turned and held it for a moment. Molten lava met a vast ocean and Kagome was frozen.

"You will sleep with this Sesshoumaru for the night. Your nightmares are less gruesome when you sleep with this one and I do not wish you fatigued due to the hanyou," he said after a moment, not knowing what had compelled him to take her wrist. After a few seconds, she smiled and nodded.

"I need to change and I'll meet you in your room." Sesshoumaru nodded and released her wrist. He walked into his room and listened to her change as he stripped out of his own clothes and tossed them into a small basket near the door. Crawling into bed, he only had to wait moments before the miko was peeking in his room nervously.

"Come in, miko," Sesshoumaru sighed as he moved over and made room for the little miko. She had scurried across the room and was under his blankets in the time of a blink and the demon sighed again at her. Covering her with the blankets, he allowed her to snuggle close to her. She was so quiet for so long that Sesshoumaru was sure that she was asleep. He settled in and was on the verge of sleep when her quiet voice reached his ears.

"Sesshoumaru, what are we?" she asked, her voice heavy with fear and tight with anxiety. He had expected her to ask this eventually, he knew that she was a hopeless romantic and that the fact that they weren't defined would kill her. While he was okay with not having a label for them, he had known that she would need one. He turned so that she could see his molten eyes staring up at the ceiling in thought and barely heard his sigh. She was so afraid of what he was going to say. He could say that they were nothing. He could say that he didn't care what they were as long as he was getting some from her. Her chest tightened further and she had hard time breathing. She had no idea she had fallen so deep for him already, that he could get this reaction out of her by not saying anything at all. She swallowed as the agony of waiting for him to answer filled her. Finally, he spoke.

"We are Sesshoumaru and Kagome. A demon and a miko that have feelings for each other, but don't understand those feelings completely quite yet. And that's all," his voice was deep and rumbled in his chest next to her. She felt relief spread through her, along with feelings of unease and sadness. While he had admitted his feelings, that didn't necessarily mean that they were going to go anywhere. They could disappear; they could end up being nothing feelings. Feelings that he thought he had but didn't really. She pushed these desperate thoughts from her head and sighed as she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. She could accept that answer for now. Eventually, they would completely sort it out, but right now, she needed to sleep. She nodded to Sesshoumaru and sighed quietly as sleep began to claim her. Sesshoumaru stared at her and knew that she wasn't completely satisfied by that answer, but it was the only one he had for her. He didn't completely understand his feelings yet and he wasn't going to get her hopes up and then hurt her. Not like his brother had and definitely not after the talk with her mother. Sighing himself, he closed his eyes and willed the troubling thoughts of the ceremony and the miko out of his head long enough to fall asleep. Kagome rolled over and snuggled closer to Sesshoumaru's sleeping form and hummed sleepily when his arm wrapped around her. She could wait for him if she had too. It's not like she had anywhere else to go. Within minutes, they were sound asleep to the sound of each other's deep heartbeats.


	8. Chapter 8

Two weeks went by and nothing changed in Kagome and Sesshoumaru's relationships. She kissed his cheeks often, almost as often as she touched the stripes on them, and they kissed occasionally. Everything had settled, including Kagome's place in Nishi. She often helped Haru in the herb gardens or in the infirmary. They became close and often spent time with the children playing in the gardens. More than ever though, the little miko refused to go in the rose garden. The idea made her shutter and made her fully healed arm ache. Rubbing it gently, she would shake her head and Rin could tell that it was too soon to ask her to go in. She had also spent a considerable amount of time with the soldiers. After her fight, they had learned to respect her and she had been permitted to train with them. She even taught them a thing or two on archery that she had been taught by Kaede and other mikos that they had met. She found it amazing to work and find a place in this castle.

She had also, many times, been out of the castle grounds and into the grounds of Nishi's youkai city. She had brought medicine and food for them, snacks from her time to give the children. She had helped give birth to a small wolf youkai who cried lustily the moment he had been born. She had checked up on him twice since his birth and was happy to see that he was doing well.

She was on her way home from a visit to an elderly hawk demon when a messenger from the palace came running up to her. Pausing to catch his breath, he looked at her urgently and pointed to the main gate.

"Visitors have arrived, my lady. Lord Sesshoumaru requested that you accompany him to greet them. He says it is your previous companions." Kagome's eyes widened at his words before she nodded and smiled softly.

"Thank you Eiichi, you can go back to the palace now," she said happily as she turned and walked toward the main gates of Nishi. Demons smile and waved at her as she went and she returned them all with a gracious smile. She was excited to see her friends but nervous butterflies batted against her stomach walls with each step she took. She knew that she was going to need to explain her feelings for Sesshoumaru to her group and she had no idea how to do it. She couldn't even explain her feelings to herself. Sighing, she held the basket in her hands against her hip as she approached the regal demon lord standing a few hundred yards in front of her. After a minute, she stood by his side and stared past him at the gate. He glanced down at her and touched her cheek with his finger gently. She knew what he was asking without words and nodded slowly. Sesshoumaru gave the gatemen a nod and the doors slowly opened with a loud screech of protest. Once the gate was fully open, she could see them. They were all there, except one. She was not surprised that Kikyou hadn't come with them. As an older fashion miko, she probably refused to enter the stronghold of a demon society. Kagome huffed softly under her breath and put her other hand on her hip as she stared at them.

Inuyasha took in her appearance and was slightly shocked. She looked, well, she looked amazing. Her long ebony hair had grown longer in the, almost, three months that they had been separated. It was tied in a low ponytail that fluttered in the breeze. She was in a traditional, dark blue kimono with silver gingko leaves scattered over it. A basket half full of herbs was balanced against her hip and her bright blue eyes were filled with fire. He took a step forward and they met eyes. Kagome glared and a quiet growl slipped through her lips. She didn't know why she was angry, but she was and she wanted someone to take it out on. Setting the basket down on the ground, she walked toward Inuyasha with angry eyes.

She was about to say something furious when a force hit her so hard that she stumbled backwards a few steps. Sango was wrapped tightly around her, hugging her so hard that she thought she was going to die. The woman was sobbing quietly and squeezing the miko. Kagome immediately hugged her back and patted her shoulders gently.

"It's okay Sango, I'm not angry at you guys. I know why you did it. It's okay," she said comfortingly as the woman pulled back and Miroku stepped forward to rub her back gently. The houshi smiled apologetically over her head as he comforted his fiancé and Kagome smiled back with a small nod. Casting one last glare at Inuyasha, whose ears flattened sadly, Kagome turned and smiled at Sesshoumaru.

"I'll take them back to the castle and get them settled in the rooms that you told me to put them in. Then, I'll meet you in you study?" The dog demon nodded to her in approval and turned to retreat back to the castle. Kagome smiled after him before turning to her friends and clapping her hands together.

"Well, let's go and I'll help you get settled in before dinner," she said nervously as she retrieved the basket from the ground and began to lead the group toward the castle. Sango and Miroku shared a glance at the way she had looked at and spoken to the demon lord, before they looked back at their friend's back. The silence was tight and incredibly awkward, and demons continued to wave and smile at her. She stopped to speak briefly with a few, to check in and make sure that everything was okay, before they continued toward the castle. Kagome smiled at the guards as she entered the gates, both of whom nodded and winked at her. She had lost her fear for them after a week back in Nishi, during the first time she had left the castle grounds. Walking through the courtyard toward the doors, Kagome waved at Haru from the path and Rin and Shippou ran up to her.

They looked at her happily before looking at her company and Shippou glared.

"Kagome, why are they here? I thought you were mad at them?" Shippou asked in a high confused voice as he jumped onto her shoulder. Kagome smiled at him as she held the basket with one arm and Rin's hand with the other. She walked with them toward the grand castle doors as she answered the small fox kit.

"Well, I was angry at them, but Sesshoumaru needs them here. So, I guess I have to forgive them," she said happily as she winked at Sango and Miroku. They entered the castle a few minutes later and shooed the children off. They ran off toward their rooms laughing. Kagome smiled after them before she turned and looked at the three in her company. Sighing, she headed for the wing that she lived in and showed each of them their rooms. Inuyasha was the last one that she showed, and as they walked toward it, he put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"Kagome, we need to talk about this," he started, his voice soft and sad. Kagome let her squared shoulders relaxed under his touch and she turned slowly to face him. Her face was blank and guarded, her eyes frozen. She looked just like his brother for a moment that it made Inuyasha's heart stop. He pulled his hand away as if stung and took a stumbled step back. Regaining his breath, he motioned toward the room that Kagome had just told him was his awkwardly and pulled the door open for Kagome. She walked in and strolled slowly over to the window and stared out into the courtyard. Soldiers were milling about since they were on lunch break and Rin and Shippou were helping Haru in the herb garden. Fall was coming to an end and they needed to gather the last of the plants before the frost bit too hard. She smiled a little at that before she realized where she was and let the smile fall. Turning, she leaned against the frame of the window and stared at Inuyasha with an expectant expression. He fidgeted under her scrutiny and stared down at his feet.

"If you aren't going to say anything, I'm going to leave. I need to talk to Sesshoumaru," she said as she pushed herself off the wall and walked past him toward the door. He whipped around and grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her back toward him.

"No, don't leave-"

Kagome turned around and slapped him hard across the face. The hanyou's face stung like he had been burned and he out a clawed hand to the heated skin before he turned and looked at the furious miko.

"Don't _leave?_ Don't leave? How can you even say that? Did you give me a chance to ask you _not to leave?_" she demanded angrily as her miko powers sizzled at her fingertips. Inuyasha took a step back and stuttered for a moment before he looked down again and his ears flattened onto his head. Kagome felt her anger waver a little before she brought it back full force.

'_No, I will not let him get away with this. He hurt me, he betrayed me, he abandoned me, and worst of all he replaced me with his clay girlfriend!'_ her mind screamed in rage at her as she took a step forward.

"You left me to fend for myself Inuyasha because you didn't think I was strong enough to stay in your company. What is there to talk about? What could you possibly have to say that wasn't already said in that action alone?" she screamed, her voice high and reedy with fury. Inuyasha flinched back from her accusations and looked out the window. She was shaking, so hard that her hair was quivering in its ponytail. Inuyasha glanced at her and sighed as he lifted his arms as if to hold her but thought better of it and let his arms fall back to his sides.

"Kags, I'm sorry. I-I know that I made a mistake. I'm sorry, please; you have to listen to me though. I know I made a mistake and I know I left you and I'm sorry. I've missed you so much lately, and I know that Kikyou could never replace you. And," he stopped, dead in the middle of his sentence as his face lit red and he looked away with sad eyes. Her words from the forest so many nights ago echoed in his head for a moment before he looked back at her and continued, "I still love you Kagome. With all my heart, I do. And I want you back, I want you to come and travel with us again.

You don't belong here. You don't belong with Sesshoumaru. He's going to hurt you and leave you heart broken. I can't stand to just sit by and watch that happen. You're my best friend, Kagome; you're been by my side all this time. I just- I can't watch you do that." His voice ended sad, the anger that had been there had dissipated as he lost his steam and he became tired. They stood and stared at each other, sad and tired, for only a moment before Kagome took a step back and lifted her eyes to him.

"No, Yasha, I'm not leaving Nishi with you. Everything you just said, all the hurt and heartbreak, that's exactly what you did to me. If you don't want to see me get hurt, you'll let me stay here. He's been good to me, Inuyasha. He's been gentle and kind. This image of him that you've built in your head is wrong. He's not going to hurt me. I can promise you that," she paused and wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, sniffling slightly and taking a deep breath before she finished, "I don't love you anymore Inuyasha. I've-I've started having feelings for him. I don't know what they are yet, but they're there. And they're so strong." Her voice was small, barely there. Inuyasha almost didn't catch the faint whisper, but it was enough to shatter him a little bit. He took a step forward and shook his head, his arms held out to her and gold eyes desperate.

"No, Kagome, no you don't love him. You think you do, but you don't. You can't. You love me, you've always loved me," he said, his voice strained and desperate. Kagome shook her head back and forth and stepped away from him as a small sob broke through her lips.

"I do, Inuyasha, I do. I hate to admit it and I hate to think that I fell for another man that isn't going to love me back, but I do. And I can't change it now. I'm sorry, I just- I can't." Inuyasha reached his arms out to her arm and enveloped her in them this time. She put her hands on his chest and held in tears as he ran his claws through her hair. It was quiet for a long time between them, just standing enjoying each other's company. Her tears had stopped and now she was just putting off the inevitable. She knew that once they pulled away from one another that reality would come crashing back.

"You know, six months ago I would have loved to have you hold me like this. Now," she pulled away and looked at his sad face, "It feels wrong."

He nodded slowly as he removed his arms from her and took a step back. His eyes were still riddled with despair and loneliness and Kagome almost couldn't take it. She needed to though; she needed to confront these feelings of indecision in her heart once and for all.

"Inuyasha, I don't love you anymore. You chose Kikyou over me and in the process, lost me," she swallowed loudly and took a deep breath before she looked up. "I'm sorry." Inuyasha nodded slowly again, her words only half making sense as he tried to smile, but it just fell flat. He let it go after a moment and took a step forward to hug her again. She stepped back though, and put her hands up to halt his movement and shook her head.

"I know that all our feelings are out there and everything, but I just can't do this yet. I need some time to think, to process and to get used to being around you ago. I know it hasn't been that long, but it's been long enough," she said quietly, her voice breaking in the middle. Inuyasha let his arms fall limply to his side and nodded numbly. Kagome half smiled to him and said, "It's okay. We're still friends, and I'm not angry anymore. I just need time to think."

Inuyasha nodded again and returned the half smile. "I really have missed you, Kags."

"I've missed you too, Yasha." They nodded to one another one last time before Kagome turned to leave. She was a little surprised when Inuyasha didn't grab her wrist and she slid his door shut. Walking slowly, she soon found that she was running. Away from his room and away from the haunted look on his face, away from the sad fog in his eyes and away from all the heartbreak between them.

….

Kikyou sat under the shade of the tree in complete silence as Kohaku sat across from her and stared at a microscopic ant in the dust. Inuyasha and his company had left into Nishi a day ago and Kikyou had refused to enter such a place. She was a miko and the demon was her natural enemy, she was not going to go in and be friendly with them. It had been convenient to have an excuse to leave; Kohaku had come not twenty minutes after Kikyou had left. He had said that Naraku wanted to speak with her about something concerning her reincarnation. Kikyou had simply nodded before she followed the small demon slayer.

The silence between them now was neither comfortable nor awkward. It just was. Kohaku glanced away from the ant for a millisecond to look at the clay woman before he looked back. He was disappointed when he couldn't find it again and sighed. Looking at the woman, he felt a question suddenly rise to his tongue.

"Why are you doing this?" he blurted out awkwardly. The ancient miko opened her eyes slowly and stared at him with cold, dead eyes. Her gaze made the boy uncomfortable and he was forced to look away before she answered.

"Do what?"

"Betray Inuyasha like this, by joining Naraku and lying about it. Why?" he asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. His voice rose in anger slowly until he was standing and his fists were shaking. Kikyou stared at him in boredom and raised a perfectly sculpted brow at his actions before she settled and closed her eyes again.

"Is it any different than what you are doing to your sister? Being free of the Naraku's power yet you still side with him?" she said, her voice flat. Kohaku felt like he had been slapped by her words and his head spun before he got control of his feelings.

"No! It's not the same. Naraku can make the jewel stronger whenever he wanted! I am not free as long as this shard is in my back! You- You are free. You have free will to do whatever you want and you're choosing to betray the man that loves you for the hanyou that is made of pure evil!" he screamed her, his whole body quivering now. Kikyou shrugged delicately with eternal grace and yawned quietly. Seeing that he wasn't going to get anywhere with the vile woman sitting in front of him, he took a deep breath to calm himself and ran a hand through his hair.

"Come on, we have to go. Naraku is expecting you soon," he said, his voice just as flat as hers as he pushed his chain scythe into his belt and began walking. He didn't look back to see if the woman was following because he didn't really care. He wanted to be away from her as soon as possible. Even if getting away from her meant that he had to return to the evil half demon that he hated with all his heart and soul.

….

Sesshoumaru growled in utter frustration as he stalked out of his office and down the hallway. All day, it had been person in and out of his office with trivial questions and reports regarding the ceremonies. The Houses were set to start arriving in three days and the final touches on everything were just settling in. The tournament judges and referee had been chosen, the meal menu set, the decorations hung, and the only thing left to do was decide who the fighters from his house would be and get the other lords and ladies settled into the castle. All of that would happen the day that the others arrived, so the demon lord had not been bothered by it today. He had just finished approving the housing arrangements for the Houses and their guests and had asked a servant about the whereabouts of the miko. Five minutes later, Jaken came flopping into his office out of breath.

"Milord, the miko is missing. The servant you sent out was unable to locate her," he said, his squawk high and anxious. The demon lord had breezed past him within milliseconds and was down the hall almost instantly.

Now, he stood in the cool evening air with his nose lifted to the wind and his eyes closed. He had to concentrate harder than he thought he would, the miko's scent was all over the castle and the courtyard. He scowled as a little burst of pomegranate swirled in front of him coming from the north. Turning, he headed toward the dojo. He could tell that she wasn't in the large building and continued past it. He walked for five more minutes, odd bursts of her scent floating through the air from time to time, before he finally caught on her scent. Following it quickly, he turned a corner around a large tree and found the miko sitting right behind it.

"Miko," he stated his voice low and almost threatening. When the miko didn't react to his voice, he walked around her and looked at her face. Her eyes were closed and her breath quiet. Her knees were pulled to her chest and arms wrapped around them tightly. Her skin was pale and cool to the touch when he reached his fingers out and brushed them over her cheek.

"She's sleeping," he said quietly before sighing and picking her up. Holding her gently to his chest, he smiled softly when she cuddled closer. Her cold hands clutched at his haori and she mumbled unintelligently in her sleep. The demon lord smiled down at her and walked back toward the castle. Soon, he had her tucked into his futon and cuddling a pillow of his tightly. He requested an extra blanket be put over her to keep her warm, he was slightly worried about the chill that seemed to be deeply embedded in her skin. He sat beside her for a few minutes, staring as her face gained some of its color. Satisfied that she was getting warm, he rose from the side of her bed and turned to the servant standing near the door.

"Is dinner ready?" The maid gave a quick, respectful nod. "Get the miko's companions and the hanyou and show them to the dining hall. They shall join this Sesshoumaru and the children for dinner tonight." The little black feline bowed and scurried out of the room. Sesshoumaru glanced once more at the miko and bent down to brush her hair out of her face.

"Sleep, little miko. I shall return later tonight," he whispered softly, the icy exterior melting away for a moment as his molten eyes took in her face. Sighing mentally, he stood and swept out of the room. On the way to the dining hall, he gathered the children and explained to them who they were dining with. They chattered excitedly and formulated plans to mess with Inuyasha at dinner.

"We could throw food at him!"

"We could kick him under the table."

"We could set him on fire!" they said in unison, giggling afterwards as they raced ahead of the taiyoukai and into the dining hall. He smirked behind them, approving of their antics as he swept into the dining room. The demon slayer and the monk were sitting at the far end of the table, and Rin and Shippou had pulled up seats across the table from them. Shippou talked excitedly of his time in Nishi to Sango and Miroku as Rin nodded and added her own bits of the stories. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. Sesshoumaru took his place at the head and stared at his company. Slowly, Shippou and Rin stopped talking and waited for Sesshoumaru to start finish whatever he was going to say before they finished their tale. Clearing his throat quietly, he stared from the monk to the slayer for a moment before he spoke.

"Welcome to Nishi. You, as the miko's friends, are welcome to stay as long as she sees fit. You are required to stay through at least the ceremonies that are to be held here in the next week. You are not required to participate, but must stay within the castle grounds. You may join the festivities if you so wish. I am sure that the miko would be pleased if you did." He paused for a moment to look at them to make sure that they comprehended everything he was saying. Glad to see that they weren't too confused, he continued.

"Now, one thing that I won't tolerate is you trying to convince or force the miko to leave Nishi. I have already proven that I am much more competent than you or the half breed. She is safe. She is happy. She will remain in Nishi with this Sesshoumaru," he concluded before taking a sip of water and motioning for the servants to bring the food out. Food covered the table suddenly and the children excitedly started to fill their plates as Sango stared at Sesshoumaru in disbelief. Part of her was shocked that he was even talking to them and another part of her was shocked at what he had said. Her anger flared instantly and Miroku didn't have time to calm her before she opened her mouth.

"And what makes you think that she won't want to leave?" she asked insolently. Sesshoumaru raised a silver eyebrow at her and set his glass down. He thought of all the touches to his markings, all the kisses and all the fingers brushing against his cheeks. All the times she had cuddled closer to him and all the times she had held his hand when it wasn't necessary. They made a smile pull at the corners of his lips and he pushed it down before he answered.

"Based on my time spent with the onna, I am sure that she is more than happy to stay in Nishi with this one. After all," he smirked with an evil intent in his eyes, "I won't abandon her."

Sango blink in misunderstanding before she clenched her fists and prepared to lunge at the demon lord. Miroku caught her wrist tightly and pulled her back down into her seat. She whipped her head around and gave him a deathly look that made him wince before he ripped his eyes from her and turned to the demon lord.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, what I think my darling fiancé means is what your intentions with Kagome? What are your feelings for her? Why do you wish to keep her in Nishi?" The entire dining room went silent for a moment as the children stopped to look at Sesshoumaru and Sango's rage froze. He contemplated the question for a moment before as he thought of all those memories of the miko again, as he thought of her smell and what her face looked like when she smiled. He smiled softly at the thoughts and memories. Looking back up at the two, he met the slayer's eyes and then the monk's.

"My feelings for the miko are my own business and will stay that way. As for my intentions, I intend to protect her and to take care of her, to make sure that she is happy. I feel that the easiest way to obtain all three of those goals, along with prepare for the impending fight with the evil hanyou, is to keep her here in Nishi with the children and I."

Sango let her fists unclench and Miroku slowly released her wrist. They were shocked; they couldn't believe what they were hearing. They had never thought that he would say such a thing, especially about a human. Let alone about Kagome. Sango nodded slowly at his words before turning to her food and eating slowly. Miroku glanced down at her with a small smile painted on his lips. She nudged him with her elbow playfully, but returned the smile. Their fears had been put to rest, their worries over Kagome's wellbeing were proven unnecessary and they would be able to sleep soundly again. They both sighed quietly before they turned their full attention to the two children in front of them whom were telling them a very exciting tale of the time that they had stolen Jaken's staff and set him on fire with it.

Sesshoumaru watched with passive eyes and ate little as dinner proceeded. It wasn't until the children's words were slurring and they were yawning every other word that Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and stood.

"Shippou, Rin it is time to go to bed." They both nodded and slid out of their seats. They mumbled a 'goodnight' to Sango and Miroku before Rin's maid led them to their room. Halfway from the table and the door, she was already carrying both of them. Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly at the sight and turned to the houshi and the slayer. "I am retiring for the night as well. You are free to roam the castle and the grounds, but I would suggest sleep. The children wake early and with undoubtedly wake you as they wake Kagome."

They nodded at his words and watched as he left the room. The minute the door closed, Miroku turned to his future wife and grinned.

"She's in good hands, my dear. He obviously has feelings for her that he has at least admitted to himself. He will not hurt her, she is safe," he said simply as he rose and took Sango's hand. She grumbled unhappily but ended up nodded and sighing. Together they walked out of the dining room and to their separate room in silence. They knew that they would talk about the demon lord and their miko friend soon but right then they were content with silence. Outside of Sango's room, she fidgeted awkwardly and blushed when the male kissed her cheek gently and walked away. Sighing dreamily, she retreated into her room and got ready for bed. Sometimes, she didn't know how she had gotten so lucky.

….

Sesshoumaru walked slowly back to his room, rolling his own words around in his head. He was slightly surprised by his own answers to the companions' questions. He was a little surprised that he had answered them at all.

'_It is because they are the surrogate family of our future mate and she cares about them. To hurt them would hurt her, and we won't do that,'_ his demon explained simply. Sesshoumaru considered this question and nodded to himself, deeming it acceptable. He did care about the miko and he knew that these ningen meant something to her. And for that sole reason, he would be pleasant with them.

Sliding his door open, he glanced at the still sound asleep miko in the bed before he pulled off his haori top and slid into the bed next to her. Immediately, her warm body was up against his and her leg hooked tightly around his waist. The demon lord sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. He vaguely noted that she had warmed up to a normal temperature and that the flush had returned to her cheeks. He smiled as his clawed hand ran lightly over her cheek. He chuckled when goose bumps pebbled her skin, even in her sleep. He stilled when she mumbled in her sleep and pulled herself closer to him. Her flaming cheek rested against the cool skin on his shoulder. He shuttered pleasantly and went back to running his fingers through her soft black locks. He buried his nose in the top of her head, indulging himself now that he could. He took in the scent from her hair and sighed happily.

"You are quite an oddity in this Sesshoumaru's life, little onna," he whispered softly as he ran his claws along her arm, which was draped across his chest. He pressed the flats of his fingers to her wrist gently and reveled in the soft pulse there. Sighing in content, he moved his fingers back up to her forehead.

"You touch, kiss, and embrace this Sesshoumaru with no fear in your eyes. You smile at me, you spend time with me, and you had admitted affections for me. I had thought at one point that no being could look at this Sesshoumaru without fear glistening in their eyes. Yet, you do, you look at me with trust and affection and happiness," he whispered to her softly, bewildered when it suddenly felt easier to breath. His beast chuckled smugly in the back of his head.

'_You have held in your feelings for the girl and while your brain is pleased with that, your heart is not. It wishes for you to take her, to make her ours; much like I wish you to. Your body is simply reacting to the metaphorical 'weight' of your secret being lifted from your conscious and heart,'_ the deep voice explained as it stared through Sesshoumaru's eyes at the beautiful woman in front of them.

Her round face was soft in her sleep and her full lips slightly parted. Her breath was deep and gentle and her face pinched in a nightmare. Sesshoumaru rubbed his knuckles softly against her cheek to remind her that he was there. Her face calmed after a moment and she fell back into lifeless sleep. He smiled gently and thought on his demon's words. The deep voice had presented an interesting point. Perhaps he had held his feelings for the girl in too long. He shook his head carefully at the thought. He wasn't going to give the girl hopes up until he had understood and accepted his own feelings. That made him think about what he understood about his feelings at this point.

He knew that he enjoyed her company. He knew that he cared about her enough to have affections toward her. He knew that he didn't object to having her near his person.

'_Is that enough to take her as a mate though?' _he wondered, thinking back to one of the few conversations he'd had with his father. His father had asked him if he had anything to protect. At the time, Sesshoumaru had said no, thinking that he would never have anything worth protecting. He smirked at his father's words now, having an odd feeling that his father had somehow known that he would someday find this strange miko. Thinking back, he remembered his father's words following his reply.

His father had smirked and chuckled softly, upsetting a younger Sesshoumaru to no end. Inu-no-Tashio turned to him then, his face serious and almost threatening. Sesshoumaru had bristled under the look, his youki surging on instinct. His father had smirked at his aggression and chuckled again.

"Son, someday, you will find a girl that is worth protecting and you will love her." A young Sesshoumaru scoffed at the idea and flicked a piece of hair over his shoulder.

"Love? A useless, ningen emotion that only serves to weaken a warrior, I have no use for it."

And the look on his father's face was one that Sesshoumaru had never been able to forget. It was soft and kind that it threw Sesshoumaru off for a moment. There was another emotion there though was confused Sesshoumaru even more. His father's eyes held bright forgiveness.

Pushing the memory into the back of his head, he glanced down at the miko and traced his finger over her bottom lip. Her breath fanned over it softly. He wanted to kiss her, but fought the urge. Caressing her cheek softly, he thought about love and the miko. After a long time, he decided.

He did not love the miko. He was affectionate of her and enjoyed her company, but he did not love her. That much he knew was true. Pulling his hand slowly away from her face, he laid his head back and closed his eyes. It was time that he put these thoughts to rest for the night and attempted to get some rest. Tomorrow was sure to be a frustrating day.

….

_Dark smog swirled in the air and filled Kagome's lungs quickly and made her choke. Doubling over, she tried to cough up the clog in her throat and her eyes burned with poison as tears. Spitting up a dark glob onto the equally dark ground, she gasped for breath and stood up straight and wiped her mouth. Looking around, she squinted her eyes and tried to figure out where she was. It was cold and the air was moist with poison and miasma. She could taste blood in the back of her mouth and gagged at the taste. Taking a step forward, she was glad to determine that the ground was solid enough for her to stand and walk one. After a few cautious steps, she became comfortable walking in the tainted world with its blood stained floor, and she wandered about the area around her. If she walked ten feet in any direction, she would hit a wall of sorts that stopped her from walking. _

_It wasn't until she reached her first wall that she realized that her miko powers had no use here. She attempted to summon them to her fingertips and they just sparked before disappearing into a sea of miasma that floated around her. Frowning, she turned and walked in the last direction that she could. This time, she couldn't out her ten feet and was surprised when she made it to eleven. She continued to walk, eventually losing count and just concentrating on walking. The weight of the miasma on her made her tire quickly and she soon was too tired to continue. She kept going though, her body pulling from some store of energy she didn't know she had. _

_It felt like hours later and her feet were still moving. _

_One in front of another. One in front of another. On in front of… _

_She didn't realize she had stopped walking until her face hit the pavement below her and she felt the hot sting of scraped skin along her cheek. She wanted to cry and scream, but her body had stopped listening to her and her mouth tasted like despair and lies. Her breathing was shallow and for a split second, she was sure that she was about to die. Then, a hand reached down and pulled through her hair. At first, the hand was gentle as it pulled the nappy tangles out of her hair. Then she realized the hand was pulling the ends of her hair too soon. She felt the urge to reach up and touch the ends, to see how long, or how short, the black locks were now. Her arms wouldn't listen to her though, the lay limply at her sides and ached with the effort she pushed into them to get them to move. Suddenly, the hand seized her by her hair and lifted her high off the ground. Her felt her limp legs dangle uselessly beneath her and her whole body was numb. She flapped flimsily in the wind, as if made of paper, and she didn't even have the energy to change her expression as she stared into the eyes of evil incarnate. _

_Naraku smiled at her in mock sweetness and his tentacle caressed her cheek gently. The slime left a trail along her skin like a slugs would and it irritated her skin mildly. She felt a rash rising where the slime residue was left over and she wanted to itch it so bad that she wanted to sob when her fingers wouldn't move. The rash turned into a burn and soon, she felt her skin oozing yellow and burning as if stuck by a brand. Tears flowed down her face and only served to add salt to the wound. Naraku smiled at the agony in her eyes as the tentacles traveled further around her body and wrapped tightly around her chest and waist. The slime disintegrated the clothing there and she wanted to scream when the goo came in contact with her nipples. Naraku chuckled at the croak that slipped through her lips and reached out to cup the injured breast. Kagome wanted to slap his hand away. She wanted to push him away._

_She wanted to say no. All her lips would do was quiver though, as his hands roamed her body and the slime burned her skin. They continued to slither over her soft skin, leaving globs and tracks as they went and dissolving clothing in seconds. Soon, she fluttered in the soft wind covered in only scraps of burned clothing. The injustice and powerlessness of it all burned her hotter than the mucus did. Naraku noted the passionate anger flash in her eyes and grinned. He bent his head down and locked eyes with her as his long tongue wrapped gently around her still stinging nipple. A spasm racked through her body on instinct and Naraku let out a full laugh at that which shook his body and rattled her frame. His tentacles stilled in their assault of her body for a moment as he reached a hand out and touched the skin of her cheek gently. Then, without warning, his hand whipped back before flying forward and slapping across her face sharply. Her head snapped easily to the side and she had to wait for him to grab her chin and turn her head so that she could see him again. The hand holding her hair was replaced by a tentacle and she could feel the ooze sliding down her hair. She wanted to shutter and hated that she couldn't._

_Naraku grinned at her, at the rising bruise on her cheek, and silently allowed his slimy appendages to slide over her body again. The dipped around her legs and curled around her elbows. The burning was almost too much for her to take and then, everything went numb. His fingers traced down her bare stomach and ran through the thick hair between her legs with odd tenderness. Kagome wanted to sneer, she wanted to scream, and she wanted to cry. She yearned to say no. _

_Time was passingly oddly in this strange world filled with miasma. One minute, she was in the air, being forcefully penetrated by his clawed fingers. The next, she was thrown carelessly to the ground and a tentacle was forcing its way into her mouth. Her body reacted immediately, gagging and spitting violently against the offending appendage. It tickled the back of her uvula for a moment before Naraku retracted it and knelt in front of her. His clothes had been shed in the time she couldn't see him and his large penis was strained and hard between his legs. Fear seized Kagome tightly, making her heart squeeze and her body freeze. Naraku smiled wickedly at the fear in her eyes as he casually stroked his hard on before inching forward. Tentacles were pushing against her vaginal opening tentatively and the head of his penis poked at her lips demandingly. Unable to tighten her lips or clamp her teeth, his penis shoved into her mouth easily and touched the back of her throat. She felt the urge to gag, but her body was no longer hers to control. _

"_Remember this feeling, miko. This will be your reality, for the rest of time, once I have destroyed your little friends and your precious taiyoukai," Naraku said, the evil chilling and settling into her bones as it floated through the miasma. Kagome felt a tear slide down her cheek and soak into the dirty earth as she found the power to shut her eyes from the horrible world in front of her. _

A piercing scream ripped through Kagome's throat and echoed through Sesshoumaru's room. In an instant, the demon lord was sitting up at her side with glowing green claws that promised pain. He could smell the onna's blood and poison thick in the air. He looked to the girl and his heart thumped hard. Turning, he touched his poison tipped claw to the candle at his bedside. He waited for a moment to make sure that a flame took and then turned back to the miko. She was shaking, so hard that it worried the demon lord, and her hand was pressed tightly against her left cheek. Tears were streaming down her face and her hair was frayed around her head in a halo of black. The demon lord reached out to her and touched her cheek gently.

Feeling a hand touch her cheek, Kagome turned with wide eyes and slapped it away immediately.

"NO!" she screamed, pain and misery ringing in her voice. Sesshoumaru forced his youki over her gently, giving her a moment to calm before he reached out and took her around her waist gently. Pulling her to him, he crossed his legs and sat her carefully in his lap. He rocked her for a moment before he reached up and moved her hand from her cheek. He hissed at what he saw. A long stripe, half the length of a chopstick, was a deep red that sizzled with yellow ooze. His eyes tinted pink for a moment before he looked the miko in the eye seriously.

"What happened to you?"

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes and shook her head slowly to the side. Sesshoumaru growled angrily and grabbed her chin quickly and forced her to look at him. Her eyes filled with fear for a moment before she remembered who she was looking at and her eyes filled with new tears.

"He's back, Sesshoumaru. He's in my dreams and my mind. He did this," she pointed to her cheek, "And he did other things, he touched me everywhere. And I couldn't say-I couldn't say no. I couldn't move. He told me that-that it's going to become my reality."

The miko collapsed into tears as she clutched at his hair and pressed her face tightly into his neck. She winced when her burn touched his skin, but ignored it as she cried. The demon lord was caught between intense, blinding fury and the deep rooted instinct to protect his pack. Lifting her easily, she clung to him as he held her and carried her over to her yellow backpack. In the two weeks after they had returned to Nishi, she had explained all her medications and ointments to the demon lord. Pulling out the bag within her pack, he opened it and pulled out the tube of ointment that she called 'antiseptic' and a piece of cause attached to a sticky fabric. Setting her down against the wall, he put two fingers under her chin and tilted it up gently. Her tears were slowing now with exhaustion and her eyes slid between awareness and the fog of sleep. Her head lolled to the side and Sesshoumaru sighed as he titled it gently again and applied the bad smelling gel to the length of the burn. After that, he pressed the bandage to her skin gently and ran his finger around the edges to reinforce its hold to her skin. Pulling out a small white bottle that read 'aspirin' he shook two of the oblong, red pills into his hand and looked at the miko before shaking her gently.

"Miko, you must take these," he said, firmly. She had told him that they relieved pain and could aid in sleeping, which Kagome would need right now. He made a mental to talk to Haru about perhaps having the miko take poppy seed essence for the next few nights to help her sleep. He watched the miko nod slowly before she took the pills from him and placed them far in the back of her throat. Feeling them touch her uvula gently, memories crashed into her and she gagged and thrashed wildly. The demon lord whipped out his hand quickly and wrapped around her waist and he curled himself around her. She gulped loudly and the pills slid slowly down her dry throat. Slowly, she calmed and when Sesshoumaru was sure that she wouldn't thrash out again, he released her slowly. Lifting her gently, he carried her over to the basin of water near his vanity and lowered her body to the lip of it so that she could take a long sip. The water soothed the burn in her throat and cleared her mind, forcing her thoughts to sharpen. After a moment, she nodded that she was done and he carried her back to the futon.

Laying her in it, he lay next to her and allowed her to wrap her lean body around his side. He knew that she was still awake for a long while before she spoke.

"He's winning, Sesshoumaru. He's beating me, in my own mind," she let out a bitter chuckle before she let her eyes fall shut. They snapped open when a deep growl reverberated through his chest and into her body. She lifted herself onto her elbow and looked at him with curious eyes. He was glad for a moment that the dread was no longer dominant in her eyes, but pushed the happiness away and concentrated on his irritation with her.

"You, miko, have not been beaten. The hanyou is using underhanded ways to shake your confidence and the only way that he would win is if you allow him," he said his voice a husky growl. Kagome smiled softly at him and reached out to touch his stripes gently. The demon lord closed his eyes slowly, his mind and body begging for sleep.

"I have a stripe like you now," she said suddenly, softly. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her without opening his eyes and he felt her take his wrist gently. Lifting his hand, she touched his fingertips to her bandaged cheek carefully. She smiled a little wider when he sighed inaudibly at her. Bending down she kissed him gently, and smiled when he returned it with just as much tenderness. His hand swept down the side of her face and into her sweat damped hair. It continued down her back to her waist and held her balance carefully. After a moment, she pulled away and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru."

He nodded and allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "Sleep, little miko. The hanyou will not return tonight." The confidence in his voice reassured Kagome and she nodded slowly before laying her head over his heart and listening to it beat steadily. Sesshoumaru turned and pressed his fingers into the fire of the candle and blinked against the darkness before closing his eyes and willing sleep to overtake him. Ten minutes later, the miko and the taiyoukai were both sound asleep with their fingers buried in each other's hair.

….

A scream startled him and Inuyasha sat up immediately, groggy, and tried to comprehend what had happened. Easily smelling Kagome's blood and fear soaking the air, he jumped up from his bed and raced out of his room. He ran down the hall toward her scent as fast as he could. Her tears had mixed into the cocktail of her scent and his alarm grew the closer he got. He slowed the closer her got when her fear and tears slowed and sleepiness filled her smell. Pushing his youki over his body, he hid his scent as he approached the room her could sense Kagome in. Her frowned when he realized he could feel Sesshoumaru in the room too and peaked into the now quiet room carefully.

He noticed immediately that there was only one bed in the room and both Sesshoumaru and Kagome were in it. Fury filled him immediately and he was about to storm into the room when his best friend's voice floated to him. He couldn't take out the words, but her voice cracked and tears slurred her words. The half dog demon's heart cracked a little at the sound and he took a step back as he watched his brother handle the situation. He wanted to see if Kagome had been telling the truth, that his bastard brother had changed and was kind to her. He couldn't believe the idea that his brother cared for anything.

Until, he stood outside his brother's room and watched Sesshoumaru comfort and bandage the crying girl. He was shocked; he couldn't believe what he was watching. He felt his breath hitch tight in his throat when he watched them lay back together. The feeling that he had lost her came back full force and his heart felt like it was going to explode. He couldn't look away as they talked both their voices clear now. He was almost floored when he watched them kiss. And it was gentle, tender. He couldn't believe his eyes when they pulled away and Sesshoumaru was smiling affectionately at the futuristic miko. She had been telling the truth, he realized, as he listened to his brother's gentle voice reassured her that the 'he' wasn't coming back tonight. Inuyasha barely had time to wonder who 'he' was before the candle light was killed and Inuyasha was staring into darkness. He left the doorway quickly and headed back to his room.

His heart was beating so hard that he could feel it in his toes when he closed his door and paced his room. He had really lost her to his bastard of a half-brother. Pain and reality tasted bitter in the back of his mouth when he finally stopped walking and sat down on his futon. She had moved on. The hold that he had on her was gone and she was really over him. It hurt. More than he thought it would. He had never considered the idea of her actually moving on and loving someone else. He was sure that she would always love him, even when he was gone into Hell with Kikyou.

Kikyou.

His heart gave another painful thud as he thought of his first love. He wondered vaguely where she was right now and what she was doing. Sighing at the thoughts, he ran a hand through his unruly hair once before he fell back onto his pillow and closed his eyes. This was too much to process on a half-awake brain. He would sleep on it and think about it more in the morning. Minutes later, his quiet snores echoed through his room.

….

Morning came and drifted into afternoon slowly, with Kagome still asleep in bed and the demon lord beside her. It was early in the afternoon when she finally allowed herself to wake up and face the world. Her cheek stung like all holy hell and her body ached for unknown reasons. Rolling closer to the lord on the other side of her, she rested her cheek on his chest and sighed. She felt him stiffen for a moment and knew he was awake when his fingers buried in her hair and ran them through it gently.

"You need to bathe, little one," his voice commented quietly as he glanced at the bandage on her cheek. The burn had scabbed over and begun to fade already, pleasing the demon lord. Kagome smiled and ran her fingers through his hair as well.

"Is it too much of a mate's activity to bath together?" she asked quietly, her voice and eyes kidding and playful. The demon lord growled playfully back at her and rolled over so that he was looming over her. He didn't know what had spurred such playful jesting with the girl, but he liked it. Leering down at her over dramatically, he cracked his knuckles in mock threat and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you really brave enough to venture, naked, into a bath with this Sesshoumaru?" The demon lord noted the tiny spark of true fear in her eyes and was about to pull away when a fierce fire filled the azure eyes and she smirked in challenge.

"Oh, I think I am."

Sesshoumaru felt his beast pressing against his control and knew that he couldn't venture into a bath area with woman. He sighed at her and allowed his look to soften when he looked upon her face and stroked her cheek gently. He watched as the fierce look left her eyes and was replaced by a look of contentment. She leaned into his touch and sighed softly.

"No, miko, it would dishonorable for me to put you in such a situation. Or, to allow you to put yourself in said situation. I was not lying though, you do require a bath. Go and bath and then come down for lunch, I have alerted the kitchens that you were sleeping and lunch was pushed back." Kagome nodded happily and kissed his cheek quickly before hopping out of bed and trotting over to her bag. She grabbed it and retreated back into her room and slid the door shut quietly. Sesshoumaru watched her go and smirked in amusement before he stood and got dressed.

His relationship with the miko was getting more and more interesting.

Once Kagome had closed the door, she dropped her bag beside her trunk and pulled the lid of the heavy trunk open. Pulling out a random kimono, she set it on her bag before she stripped out of her current clothes and went into the bath house. The heavy fog wrapped around her and comforted her while simultaneously reminded her of the chocking miasma. Shuttering hard, she dashed quickly across the rough rock floor and lowered herself into the body. While the only real wound was on her cheek, her body remembered the tracks that Naraku had left all over her body and the water emphasized those areas. Kagome tried to relax and let the warm water calm her as she leaned against a rock and laid her head back. Soon, the paranoid feeling and crawling under her skin started to slowly drive her crazy and she finally decided it was time to get out. Lathering and rinsing her hair quickly, she winced when the soap ran into the soggy burn before she crawled out of the water quickly and wrapped herself in a towel. Steps quick, she exited the bathing room and went back into her room. Closing the door, she didn't realize she was gasping until she slid down the door and curled into a ball. She vaguely noted the door being pulled open across the room from her and the person coming toward her. She didn't realize she was shaking until a still body was against hers and she clung to it like it was her only anchor to the Earth.

Sesshoumaru sighed at the girl, realized that perhaps the dream had affected her more than he had realized. Setting her down at her vanity slowly, he grabbed a spare towel and rubbed it through her hair gently. Once pleased with its dryness, he set the towel aside and grabbed a brush from the low vanity. Slowly, he ran the brush from her scalp to the tips of her hair. He did this for fifteen minutes, making sure that all the knots and tangles were out of her long hair before he set the brush aside and took her shoulder gently. Turning her around carefully he stared at her and ran his knuckles over her cheekbone, just above the bloody stripe on her cheek, and let his youki spread over her.

"You are safe in Nishi, miko. You need not fear the evil hanyou." He waited until she nodded at his words before rising and turning.

"Meet me in the dining hall once you have finished getting dressed and have put a new bandage on your cheek. Your companions and the children will be there," he said, his voice flat. Kagome half smiled at the cold tone, amused that he still put it up whenever he was with anyone but her. She nodded once more before rising on shaky legs and trotting over to her bag. She waited until he closed her door before completely toweling off and getting dressed.

Five minutes later, she was tying her kimono tightly before she pulled her hair into a tight bun on her head. Making sure that she was ready to leave, she nodded once to herself before smiling brightly and walking out of her room. The new bandage on her cheek felt nice. She admitted, the fear was high in her but the joy of knowing that Sesshoumaru would protect her if she needed countered that fear head on. Pushing all the worries away, she concentrated on how happy she was to see her friends as she pushed the dining hall door open and poked her head inside.

A chair scraped against the floor and a woman ran toward the door as the miko closed it and opened her arms to the taijiya. The two women embraced tightly for a moment before Sango pulled back and moved Kagome's bangs out of her face and took in her appearance. Once she was sure that the miko really was in front of her and okay, she smiled tearfully and laughed nervously.

"It's so good to see you. When I heard that Sesshoumaru had you, I got afraid that you were being tortured," she chuckled, thinking back to Sesshoumaru's words the night before, and Miroku's explanation of those words to her. The miko grinned at her and sighed.

"You all worry too much. I am fine, I'm happy here. I have a place here and I'm useful here. I like it here. He isn't keeping me here, if I wanted to leave, I would," the miko glanced at the demon who raised his eyebrows at her as if to say 'Oh, really?', and chuckled, "He's keeping me safe here, Sango." Hearing it from Kagome's mouth made the remaining of her worries settle down and Sango smiled in understanding at her as they walked over to the table, they parted at the end of the table and Kagome took her seat next to Sesshoumaru as Sango at next to Miroku.

Kagome smiled at Sesshoumaru and her fingers brushed the back of his hand momentarily before she reached out and filled her plate with lunch foods. She took a bite of a pickled radish and almost moaned at how good it tasted. Lunch continued and Sango and Kagome filled each other in on the last three months of their lives. Shippou would tune in every now and then and add his own part of a story. The demon lord sat idly and listened as they talked, noticing that the miko skipped over the story of her maid friend. Not mentioning anything, he stood slowly and waited for the women to stop talking before he spoke.

"I have business to attend to regarding the ceremonies. The other Houses arrive the day after tomorrow. Miko, relax for the day with your companions. After dinner, you will meet me in library with Hiyashi and we will settle the finer points of the ceremony." With that, he swept around the table and out of the room. Kagome smiled after him and sighed as she shook her head and looked back at her friends. She looked suspiciously at Sango, who was smiling slyly, and took a slow sip of miso.

"What's with the look, taijiya?" she asked with a slow smile. Sango shrugged innocently and took a bite of fish.

"Oh nothing, but the fanciful way you stare at him," she commented sweetly, smiling at the wide eyed look on her best friend's face. A blush spread over Kagome's cheeks and she swatted her best friend's hand.

"Would you shut up, I do not."

"Oh, you do too."

Kagome felt the blush spread when the children look at her curiously and she grabbed Sango's wrist.

"C'mon, we need to talk. Alone," she hissed under her breath, glaring at Sango's smirk as she dragged the woman out of the room.

Miroku blinked at the scene and let a small smile grace his lips before he turned to the children who were looking at him demandingly.

"Where are they going? Kagome and Sango promised to play with us!" Shippou said angrily, standing on his chair. Miroku ruffled his hair gently.

"It's okay Shippou, the girl's need to have their talk. I'll play with you until they're done, okay?" Shippou and Rin nodded excitedly and grabbed his sleeves in their small hands tightly and pulled the houshi along with them as they chattered and made their way toward to castle entrance. Miroku sighed and got ready for a long day.

….

Kagome released Sango's wrist once they were a good way away from the castle and looked around. She looked at her life now, the soldiers who smiled and tipped imaginary hats at her in imitation of the ningen they'd seen do it, Haru waving at her from the back path to the infirmary as she helped an injured youkai through the door, she looked at it all down to the gingko tree that she sat under when she watched the children play. She was happy here, happier than anywhere she'd been in the feudal era.

Sango didn't say anything as she watched her friend look around, she looked too. She noticed the fresh bandage on her friend's cheek, but didn't mention anything about it. If Kagome wanted to talk about it, she would. Pulling her eyes from the hidden energy, Sango watched the youkai move around the courtyard. At the soldiers and the demons and everything she had sworn herself to hate. Yet she was here, standing next to her friend and watching this demon life move just like a human life would. She smiled softly at her younger self memories and misconceptions and chuckled.

Kagome heard her friend laugh and turned her head. She smiled as well and motioned for them to sit. They sat in silence for a long time before Kagome turned and looked at her best friend seriously.

"I don't love Inuyasha anymore," she said softly. The sentence was simple, but Sango could hear the implications behind the words. She nodded. Reaching out and rubbing her friend's back, she said, "I know you don't. You haven't for a while, have you?"

Kagome nodded slowly, realized that her friend was right. She thought back to a time when she loved Inuyasha. It seemed like a very long time ago, so long ago that the memory and time that had passed making her tired. She lowered her head and looked at the frosty grass beneath her. Touching it gently, she felt herself smile. A certain demon lord popped into her head and she couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled to her lips. Sango looked at her curiously and nudged her.

"What's so funny?"

Kagome sobered up quickly and looked to her friend with eyes that spelled out hopeless defeat. Sango was worried for a moment before she noticed the sad smile on her friend's face. Sango wondered what could have brought on such a strange expression, but Kagome spoke before she could ask.

"I'm falling in love with Sesshoumaru, Sango. I know crazy, right? Absolutely insane. It happened though, right under my nose. I didn't even notice it was happening until one day, bam, it hit me in the face like a wall," she said quietly. It felt good to say it, her chest abruptly felt lighter and it was a little easier to breath. She smiled as she turned to look at Sango with a nervous smile and a delicate shrug. "I guess you can't choose who you love."

Sango wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulder and half hugged her. Silence descended over them for a long time before Sango knew what to say.

"Have you told Inuyasha?" Kagome let out a quiet laugh and nodded.

"Yeah, yesterday after you guys got here, he told me that we needed to talk about this-this-this weird non-relationship that we've had for the last six months. We don't know how to be around each other or talk to each other or even look at each other. He should have known that I would get over him. He should have known that I would fall for someone else. He should have known that he couldn't keep me on chain forever!" Her voice rose as her speech went on and soon her fists were shaking and tears stung her eyes. She wiped them away angrily and looked away from her best friend, ashamed by her own weakness. Sango stared at her friend with sympathy shining in her brown eyes. She touched Kagome's hand gently and smiled a little.

"Kagome," when the miko turned her head and looked at her Sango's smile grew and she turned so that she was fully facing her futuristic best friend.

"Ever since you left, or rather, we left you; sorry about that, again," she laughed nervously before she cleared her throat and tried to remember what she was going to say. "He's been sulky and quiet. He only really talks to Kikyou, and even when Shippou would pester him, he would just take it and not say anything. He sat alone a lot and whenever we were at the village, he would sit by the well for hours. Shippou swears that he talked sometimes, as if you were there. You were already with Sesshoumaru at the time."

Kagome was surprised by this; she would have thought that Inuyasha would be happy with Kikyou now that he didn't have to worry about hurting her feelings or sneaking around. She could feel her anger at him waving before disappearing all together and she sighed. Sango watched this change in emotion and smiled at her proudly.

"All I'm saying is that you should talk to him a little more. You guys need to get all the feelings and thoughts on the table, Kagome. Clear the air. You're best friends, after all," the taijiya said as she stood up and brushed off her bottom. Looking around, she spotted Miroku and smiled at him before grinning down at her friend and ruffling her hair.

"Just talk to him, everything will be alright." Kagome nodded to her words and watched as she walked off to talk to Miroku and play with the children. Kagome sighed after a moment and stared out at the soldiers training on the archery field. She smiled at their progress and was about to stand to join them when she realized she was just trying to avoid the inevitable. Again. Sighing heavily, she pushed herself from the ground and spread her reiki over the entire castle area. She pinpointed her best friend's hanyou quickly and headed in his direction. She had dreaded this talk, but knew it needed to happen. And she hated it.

….

Inuyasha had been avoiding the group all day. The talk with Kagome coupled with the sight of her with Sesshoumaru had been too much for him and he needed some space. He spent most of the day wandering the grounds. He stayed away from the soldiers, only imagining the taunting that would come from them with his half-breed status. He sneered at the thought as he slumped against the trunk of the large apple tree he was sitting in. He allowed his thoughts of wander to the small miko and closed his eyes against the sun glaring off the frost.

"You know, if you fall asleep up there you risk falling off the branch." Inuyasha jumped at the high voice beneath him and glared down at his friend. She was smiling softly at him and he noted how nice she looked in traditional clothing. Shaking the thoughts away, he held his glare and scoffed.

"Keh. Whatever, wench. What are you doin' out here anyway? Shouldn't you be with Sango or that bastard or somethin'?" Kagome smiled at his brash tone and shook her head gently. Loose strands of hair fell over her eyes and she brushed them away as she leaned on the base of the tree and slid down to the ground. She stared out at the birds over the trees and smiled.

"Will you go for a walk with me?" she asked quietly. Inuyasha only hesitate for a split second before he feel soundlessly to the ground next to her and held out a hand. Smiling at him, she slid her hand into his and allowed him to pull her carefully to her feet. Brushing off her kimono, she started in the direction that she wanted to walk. There was something she wanted to show him.

As they walked, she waved at a soldier and turned to smile at Inuyasha to see him glaring over her head. Confused, she looked to where he was glaring, but saw nothing.

"What's up, Yasha?" she asked as she touched his arm. He glanced down at her and sighed, rubbing the back of his head and shrugging.

"Ah, they're my brother's army. My brother hates me. I've been avoiding them ever since I got here because they're going to start some shit and I have to behave while I'm here. In Nishi, I'm the prince of the West, the heir in case of a freak accident with Sesshoumaru. Much as I hate it, I have to uphold a certain image here." Inuyasha's voice was nonchalant and Kagome cast a glance at the men. They were smiling and waving at her so kindly; she couldn't help but smile back.

"These men are not like that, Inuyasha. They have accepted me into their dojo and allowed me to train with them; me, a lowly ningen. I am sure that they would not scorn you if were to approach them," she said with certainty as she took his hand and led him toward her destination. He wrapped his hand around hers, swallowing her small one in his huge one, and smiled at the feeling. It felt right, but it felt so wrong at the same time. After a moment, he released her hand and pulled his own away. She barely looked back at him before she clasped her hands tightly in front of her and took her first step into the rose garden in two weeks.

Inuyasha noticed her change in scent and the way her body tightened as they moved about the rose bushes. Her scent filled the area and the inu realized that the smell of her was the faint taste of blood in the air. Glancing around with sharp eyes, he tried to find where the smell was coming from. The smell was too faint for her to be bleeding now, so where was the faded scent coming from. He looked at his best friend's back with concern and suspicion as they rounded a corner around some wilting yellow roses and she stopped.

Her shoulders were shaking and her scent was soaked in despair and guilt. Worried, he stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder to turn her around. The muted pink of frost covered blood stain on the ground caught his eye and he looked at the ground with wide eyes of horror. He whipped his head around and stared at Kagome. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest and she shook deep in her chest. It was from the cold and from the memories that floated in front of her eyes.

"Naraku implanted a shard in one of the servants that had snuck out of the castle. She attacked Rin and Shippou. I fought her and when Naraku realized that she was going to lose, he used the power of the jewel to crush and collapse her windpipe and esophagus so that she was unable to breath. I tried to get the jewel out, but it was buried so deep in her neck that removing it killed her. I healed the wound as much as I could with my miko powers and then I did the CPR," she turned and grinned a little at him, "Remember, the chest pumping that I taught you to do if someone stopped breathing?" Inuyasha nodded and swallowed, wetting his dry throat as he listened to the rest of her tale.

"Well, I did that, and it didn't do anything. She died here," Kagome kneeled and touched the grass stained in dried blood gently and smiled softly. Inuyasha walked over to her crouching body and touched her shoulder gently. She put her hand over his and stood slowly. "For so long, I had to rely on you to keep me safe. It wasn't until this incident that I realized that I have to protect myself now. Even when I was attacked in the woods after I started travelling on my own, I ran back to camp with one thought in my mind, 'Sesshoumaru will be there.' I relied on him for protection, like for so long I relied on you for protection. But when she had that knife pointed at my children, all I could think was that I needed to protect them. I didn't rely on them; I had to rely on myself."

She turned and smiled at Inuyasha with a strange smile. It was happy, but it was also sad. A smile that was content, but Inuyasha could see the look of loss there. His heart ached for her and it ached for him because he knew what she was going to say next.

"I don't need you to protect me anymore Inuyasha. Not from demons, not from humans, and definitely not from your brother. This era helped me grow up and I can protect myself now," she stepped forward when Inuyasha nodded and his head lowered. She cupped his cheek in her hand slowly and turned his head toward hers. Pushing onto her tip toes, she kissed his cheek gently before pulling back and smiling. "Just because I don't need you as a protector, doesn't mean I don't need you as a best friend. I promised to always stay by your side, Yasha, and I will keep that promise. Just because I have feelings for your brother now doesn't mean that I'm going to leave you in the dust and never talk to you again. We're still best friends Inuyasha and we always will be, I promise."

Inuyasha put his hand over hers and a smile spread over his face, one of his small fangs sticking out over his lip. He was happy. Pulling her hand from his face he held it tightly as he led her out of the garden and back into the courtyard. They walking in pleased silence before Inuyasha knocked her with his shoulder and grinned down at her.

"Did it have to be my brother?" he asked playfully. Kagome laughed at him and shook her head slowly. "You can't choose who you love, Inuyasha. You know that better than anyone." Inuyasha sighed and nodded, knowing all too well that it was impossible to choose who you loved. His thoughts flickered to Kikyou for a brief second before they faded and were replaced by an image of a different woman. She smiled happily with a basket on her hip and long hair down her back before disappearing around a corner. Inuyasha blushed brightly and shook the memory of the maid assigned to him out of his head and glanced down at Kagome. She was looking at him curiously before she poked his cheek and grinned wickedly.

"Is this a blush I see? Who is little Inuyasha thinking about?" she asked playfully, knowing full well that he was thinking about Kikyou. It was nice, she noticed, that searing pain didn't shoot through her chest at the thought of them together now. Her smile widened. Inuyasha knew who she assumed he was thinking about and shook his head quickly, grinning slightly.

"No one special," he muttered as they entered the castle. They chatted a little bit about non-important things as they wandered the halls back to Inuyasha's room. They stopped outside his door and stood awkwardly now, not knowing what to say. Inuyasha swallowed loudly before clearing his throat and lifting his head to look at her.

"I just need to ask one thing, Kagome. Do you… Do you really love him?"

Kagome looked away at his question and blushed as she thought of all the embraces, all the kisses, all the caresses and all the looks. Then, she nodded slowly and smiled softly. "I do. I don't know what the relationship is right now, or where it will go, but I know that I love him Inuyasha."

Slowly, Inuyasha nodded and smiled softly at her. "Then, I just want you to be happy. But, if he _ever _hurts you, I will throttle him within an inch of his life. I swear, Kagome, I will. I may not be your protector anymore, but I am your best friend. And that falls within my realm of responsibilities as your best friend." His voice was fierce and serious, offering no room for argument. Kagome smiled at his protective personality and nodded in agreement. Then, she smiled at him and left.

Inuyasha watched her go before retreating into his room and sliding his door closed.

Kagome walked down the hall without turning back and proceeded toward the library. She could sense Sesshoumaru and Hiyashi there. She wondered exactly what Sesshoumaru wanted her help with. He had told her that her only job was to talk about what she and Inuyasha knew about Naraku and attend the ball so that she could be inducted into his pack. Still wondering what she was needed to do, she pushed the library door open and smiled at the demon lord as soon as he came into view. She noted his momentary smirk before he turned to Hiyashi and muttered something quietly as Kagome approached.

"Sorry, if I'm late. I had to clear some things up with Inuyasha," she said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously as she glanced at Hiyashi. His kind exterior had returned and he smiled politely at her. Walking toward her, Kagome had to will herself not to flinch as he approached her and towered over her. Holding her shoulders square and strong, she met his orange gaze with her clashing blue and they stared intently at each other for a moment. Then, the demon general bowed to her and held if for half a minute before he straightened and smiled at her warmly.

"I must apologize, Lady Kagome. I was extremely rude to you the last time we spoke and for that I offer a thousand apologies. The meeting of the Houses is an extremely rare event of great importance and the stress and pressure can bring out the worst in all of us. I hope that you can forgive me," he said, his voice deep and pleasant, like a warm fire on a chilled night. Kagome couldn't help the smile that spread over her face and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course I can, I can completely understand that. I used to get really stressed out during tests for my school," she said enthusiastically, missing his mystified and confused look at her. He bit his tongue to hold in the questions and nodded politely as he turned to Sesshoumaru, who motioned for both of them to sit.

They talked for about an hour, mostly about the housing arrangements, the vendors that would be attending the faire and the decision of who would be the West's judge on the seat for the tournament. Kagome was just starting to get sleepy when Sesshoumaru called her name.

"Miko, we need your opinion on who should fight for the honor of the West in the tournament. We already have one name and are considering another, but are unsure of who would be best. Your thoughts?"

Kagome slapped her mind awake and went through the records of all the notable soldiers she had worked with and trained against. None stuck out to her in particular and she scowled. His army was amazing, but none held any special specific talent that would put them at an advantage against another House. Scowling, she tapped her fingers against the table and tried to think. And idea popped into her head and she smirked.

"Does it have to be a soldier or just a member of the West?" she asked, her smirk turning to an innocent smile. Sesshoumaru looked at her suspiciously and answered slowly.

"It simply needs to be someone to affiliates and is a pack member to the West."

Kagome smiled at this and folded her hands on the table before leaning half an inch forward.

"I want to fight then."

"No." His answer was absolute and immediate, flat and cold. It left utterly no room for argument and it infuriated Kagome. Her eyes filled with an angry challenge and her hands separated to clench into fists.

"Why the hell not? You asked me who you thought could fight and I told you. I can," she said, her tone clipped and angry. Hiyashi watched with curious eyes at the way the two interacted, surprised when the miko argued with his lord. Deciding to cut in before it turned into a battle in the library, he cleared his throat.

"Perhaps the miko is right, my lord. She is strong, I've watched her train with my troops, and she has an advantage over the other Houses. She offers an element of surprise, being a miko, a woman, and a human. I believe it would be wise to allow her to fight. And what a perfect way to prove her place in the House of the West. It is no secret that her place in the pack will be questioned by the other lords," Hiyashi reasoned, winking when the girl smiled with gratitude toward him. He turned back to his lord and waited for a response.

"This Sesshoumaru cares little what the other lords think of my decisions," he stated simply. Hiyashi smiled, knowing he would say that, and leaned toward the taiyoukai lord.

"While this is true, would it not be nice to flaunt the powerful new edition to the Court of the West. Not only is she a powerful miko, but she is the famed miko of the Shikon Jewel. Invaluable as an ally and one that only you possess." Hiyashi caught Kagome's slight blush out of the corner of his eye and continued to smile at Sesshoumaru as the lord rolled the idea around in his head. After a few minutes, the demon lord sighed inaudibly but nodded.

"I believe that you, miko, are capable of handling your own in a fight against any of the other Houses. I give you my blessing to fight in the tournament. I demand though, that you begin training with your partner first thing tomorrow. You will train all day, with breakfast and lunch breaks, and end just before dinner. Is this understood?" Sesshoumaru looked at her pointedly, his beast growling at the idea of his mate fighting. Kagome smiled and nodded in excitement. Forgetting Hiyashi's presence, she threw her arms around Sesshoumaru and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much. I promise I won't let you down. Okay. I'm going to go and eat dinner. Thank you again," she released Sesshoumaru with a slight blush, but smiled brightly as she stood up and raced out of the room. Sesshoumaru watched her go and waited until she closed the door to sigh and flick his hair over his shoulder in exasperation. Hiyashi chuckled at him and put a large hand on his shoulder.

"This is what having a mate is like," he commented, smirking slyly when the demon lord growled and stood up and away from the general's hand.

"The miko is not this one's mate, nor will she ever be," he swore quietly, sweeping out of the room without another word. The demon general sat back in his cushions and chuckled at the lord.

"I will be sure to remind you that you said that, Sesshoumaru."

….

It was late when Kagome finally slipped into her room and stripped out of her day cloths. She was half asleep when she tied a clumsy knot in her dark green yukata and stumbled into Sesshoumaru's room. The children had kept her up with demands of stories and she would be damned if she could deny either of them anything. Once done with that, Miroku and Sango had wanted to chat about what they were to do during the festivities and Kagome had spent an hour and a half reassuring that that it would be fine and that Sesshoumaru had kept Rin in his company for years and the other Houses didn't question it. Once their fears were quelled, she had finally retreated to her room for bed.

Falling into Sesshoumaru's futon, she didn't have the energy to crawl under the blankets and groaned when the demon lord moved her out of the way so that he could drape them over her. Once under the warm covers, she quickly attached herself to his side and chest and fell into a quick slumber. The silver taiyoukai sighed at her and allowed his arm to circle her waist as he rested his head on hers and took in her scent.

"You are so much more trouble than you are worth, little miko."

….

Miasma swirled playfully in the air around the young male taijiya as he opened the door to Naraku's chambers and ushered Kikyou into it. The minute she was within the room, the door was slammed behind her and the demon slayer was gone. The clay woman wandered forward idly, no fear seeping into her cold, dead eyes. That was one thing that Naraku hated about her, the emotion that she should feel in his presence was missing because she did not fear the normal things a mortal would. She had died once and the fear of losing life was gone with her. He sneered at her lifelessness and stood from his window perch to approach her. Standing in front of her, he appraised her fragile body for a moment before a tentacle slithered slowly through the air and traced over her cheek. Her skin sizzled on contact and she instantly slapped the tentacle away. With a cold glare, she walked past the reincarnated hanyou and to the window.

"What do you want Naraku."

Naraku cackled at her frigid tone and walked up behind her. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he nibbled at her earlobe and his tongue snaked down the side of her neck.

"I am taking the miko as a slave," he said simply, trailing sloppy kissed down her jaw. Kikyou scoffed and leaned her head back on his shoulder, opening her neck up for him.

"And how do you intend to do that?" she asked, her voice slipping into a quiet moan at the end as he nipped her neck lightly before continuing his ministrations to her jawline. Turning her so that she was facing him, he sliced open her miko garbs easily and left wet kissed down her throat and across her chest. She buried her fingers in his wavy black locks and gasped as he nipped and licked at her cool skin. He smirked against her clay body and held her waist tightly as he lifted his head to look at her.

"I'm going to give her no choice," he whispered, dark implications swirling in the lust in his voice. She grinned back at him, the same evil intentions bright in her black eyes.

"Where do I come in?" she asked, her voice eager. Naraku chuckled at her tone and continued to bite, lick, suckle and tease her until she was a puddle in his grasp.

"Kanna has shown me the future in her mirror. The miko will become weak soon, and with that weakness, will come her ultimate demise," he said quietly as he tore through the thin fabric of her hakamas. He trails his fingers along her hip bones, shuttering at the fact that there was no actual bone underneath this poor excuse for skin. His fingers continued to skim along her legs as she wiggled and squirmed under his touch. "And once she is defeated, I will make her mine."

The hanyou smirked at the memory of the dreams that he had sent to her. And as he gazed down at the naked woman below him, he imagined her defeated face and her tear filled eyes. He remembered the hatred that sparked when he touched her and the pleading look in her eyes. He saw the utter hopelessness in the deep seas that were her eyes and he smiled.

'_Soon, little miko, I will call you mine.'_

A/N: Sorry to anyone that was offended or disgusted by Kagome's dream. However, this is my fan fiction and I will write it as I see fit. With that said, please do not send hate for this chapter due to that part. If you do not like it, then feel free to stop reading. I rated this chapter as an 'M' for a reason. Now, thank you to everyone who has sent the wonderful reviews, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter up soon!


	9. Chapter 9

The next day flew by quickly for the miko.

Waking the day before the tournament at dawn, she left Sesshoumaru and his warm bed to begin her training. Her partner was a large black inu. He was a good two inches taller than Sesshoumaru and had shoulder length black hair that was pulled into a tight ponytail behind his head. His skin was tinted with a tan and his shoulders were broad and strong. His hands were about the size of Kagome's face and brands of muscle ran around his upper arms intimidating. His teal green eyes were friendly though and smiled at her when she walked in. He had introduced himself as Daiki and shook her small hand in his large one gently. His speech was quiet and soft, but his fighting was not. While he was big, he was also fast and used a technique that consisted of tiring his opponent and then striking them down with powerful blows to the neck and stomach. Kagome spent most of the day doing empty hand sparing with him to get used to his technique. They fine-tuned their individual fighting styles together quickly and used most of the time sparing with another pair of soldiers so to practice working together. They ate a light lunch just as the late fall sun had risen high in the sky.

During their lunch break, the youkai had explained to her that the tournament was a four part system. It started with the partners fighting as a pair against another pair.

"This isn't a real round; it's almost like a preliminary. Except no one is eliminated, no matter who wins and who loses. It's mainly for the lords and ladies to see the fighters before they place wages on them." He had laughed at the look in Kagome's eyes at the word 'wage' and explained. "They bet on the outcome of the fights, of course. Why not throw a little away on a fight now and then? They definitely have the wealth to spare." Kagome nodded and took a bite into her onigiri.

"After that round, all the pairs are split up into eight, single person teams that are then pitted against each other. The winners move up and up until there are only two left. The first round after the preliminary is an empty hand round, but they wrap wax dipped rope around your fists and upper arms. They haven't always done that, I think the Dragon House added that the last time that they held the tournament. They are truly a cruel house. Anyway, the second round is a short sword round. And the last is a weapon optional round. Each participant gets to decide independently if they want a weapon and what weapon they want." At that, the large demon looked at Kagome with sparkling ocean green eyes. "What weapons are you comfortable with Kagome?"

She swallowed her bite before blushing lightly and glancing around the well-stocked dojo and sighing. "My most natural weapon is the bow, being a miko. I have a decent amount of sword skills, all acquired since coming to Nishi, but other than that I have no experience with anything else. I'm better at hand to hand," she explained as she took a last bite of her lunch. Daiki nodded and was about to drop the subject when Kagome snapped and shook her head frantically before swallowing. "No, that's wrong. I did try another weapon in here."

Daiki watched her curiously as she scrambled to her feet and scurried over to the wall of weapons. He watched her eyes flick over each one and shake her head before her eyes brightened and she reached her hand out to grab the weapon from the wall. Pulling it to her, the inu was surprised to see her holding a small pudao in her hands. It was a rare weapon for someone to choose to use, being that most of the soldiers and demons here were too big for it. Heaving to his feet, he walked over and watched her spin it carefully. She was actually quite good at it.

"Have you used this weapon before?"

Kagome nodded and smiled as she jabbed the weapon in the air before slowly setting it down against the wall. "My former companion, Miroku, wields a staff. For fun one day, I started to play with it. I spun and twirled it and tried to fight with it. I wasn't very good obviously. That's when I realized that I needed to learn to use more weapons than just my bow. From that day, he taught me hand to hand and the basic ways to use a staff weapon to your advantage," she explained, her voice fond and far away. Daiki nodded and clapped her shoulder gently, still jolting her forward a little.

"Well, perhaps this can be your weapon of choice then." Kagome nodded.

"Perhaps," she said thoughtfully.

They had spent the rest of the training working with swords Kagome showed interest in. Hew sword skills were mostly basic. She was a quick learner though and while she wasn't a master by any means, she had caught on quick and Daiki was confident that she could hold her own in a fight. After they had worked for some time with a sword, Daiki ordered Kagome to find the weapon she wished to use in the final round. She walked slowly, her eyes intent on the shining weaponry that decorated the walls. She had reached her hands out several times, her tiny fingers brushing hilts and blades, but never grabbing anything. Daiki watched though as her eyes continued to stray to the forgotten pudao on the wall. Finally, she walked over to the discarded weapon and touched its threaded charm gently. The little red threads spilled easily through her fingers. Her small hand wrapped around the decorated shaft tightly and pulled it from where it sat. It was light and powerful, easy for her wield. A small bell tinkled playfully from the threaded charm that hung from the blade. She raised it, swung it, twirled it and held it tightly in front of her. The familiarity of it was comforting. The shining blade shone her reflection and she couldn't help but smile.

"This, I want to work with this." Daiki nodded in approval and they spent the rest of their training working with the simple weapon. The dark inu was surprised by how fast she caught on with this weapon, even faster than she had with the sword. The harmless tool turned deadly in her swift hands as she learned how to swing and turn the pudao to her advantage. It was slightly different from a staff with its sharp blade on the end. Kagome had to learn to avoid it and not nick herself when it passed close to her body. She favored swing the blade in a wide arc near his head before jabbing and slashing at his feet to catch him off balance. After an hour and a half practice with it, they were both sweating and breathing heavily. Dark had descended outside the dojo and a meek little maid came to say that the lord of the house requested Lady Kagome's presence. She smiled and nodded to the girl, who bowed and scurried off, before she turned to Daiki and grinned.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, at dawn. I want some last minute sword practice just in case," she said as she took a deep breath center herself and wiped the sweat from her head. Daiki managed a grin and nodded as he put a hand out and help her up. She put the pudao on the wall almost hesitantly then she and the large youkai walked out of the dojo together. She waved and smiled before the ventured back into the castle.

The rest of her night had been spent with Sesshoumaru, eating dinner in his study with him and having him explain the etiquette of the meeting and ball. She nodded and made small noises of acknowledgement in the back of her throat to convey her understanding as she picked at the food on her plate. Once he had finished explained all the rules, she told of her training of the day and he nodded in approval.

"I received a list today of the participants from each House. Most of the names I did not recognize, the ones I do, however, are very competent fighters." Kagome nodded at that and proceeded to tell him about her training for the day, enjoying the look of approval and slight pride in his amber eyes. It was late into the night when silence fell over them again and Kagome's eyelids were drooping.

"Come, it is time to retire for the night. Tomorrow will prove to be an eventful day."

With that, they had gone to bed. Kagome had enjoyed a short bath before she crawled into Sesshoumaru's bed to lie next to him and soon, sleep claimed her in its tight grasp.

Now, the early morning sun shone muted on her face, light grey clouds filtering its light. Kagome sat up slowly and stretched, her hand falling to trace over the bandage on her cheek. She could feel that it was moist, the poison and puss soaked into the gauze. Rising, she smiled down at Sesshoumaru's still slumbering figure and padded over to where she had set out her training clothes for the morning. Shrugging into them quickly, she glanced at the nicer kimono she was to wear later in the day and sighed. Once dressed, she sucked in a deep breath before ripping the Band-Aid off her cheek and hissing. Folding it up carefully, she tucked it into a plastic bag and threw it into her backpack. Plastic had not been invented and she didn't want to be the first to introduce it to this primitive world. Fishing through her medical supplies, she pulled out another bandage and stuck it to her face quickly. Crumpling up the wrapper, she put it with the discarded bandage. She cast one more look at the seemingly sleeping taiyoukai before turning and leaving the room.

Jogging down the hall and into the entry room of the main castle, she stopped in the dining hall and ducked into the quiet kitchen. The house cat gave a grumpy meow in her direction before turning toward the wall and settling with his back to her. She grinned at him, the memory of her own cat skittering through her brain, before she grabbed a slice of bread. Cramming the crumbly food in her mouth, she continued to jog as she left the kitchen and headed toward the castle entrance. The servants and maids were coming to life with the castle as they started to bustle around with carts of fine china and baskets of sheets and pillows for futons. She dodged around them carefully and skipped down the castles front steps and into the courtyard.

Taking in deep breaths of the chilled morning air, the miko walked across the frozen lawn and into the dojo. Daiki was nowhere to be seen and she scowled, sighing and tapping her foot in impatience at his tardiness. Slipping out of her shoes, she walked to the middle of the dojo and sank into a seated position. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and calmed her heart and mind. During her travels all over Edo with Inuyasha, they had come across an ancient miko in a village far from the well. She had spoken to Kagome the secrets of miko and the world. There, the futuristic miko had learned to meditate. She had tried many times in the past with Kaede and Miroku, but she could never quite concentrate. She would either be distracted or she would fall asleep. Taking in another deep breath, she held it tight within her chest and focused her powers to her fingertips. They swirled there immediately and as the miko slowly let out the breath her reiki surrounded and surged around her powerfully. It rippled and swam around her, pink in the air as it filled her. Slowly, once her former breath was gone, she sucked in another slow breath. As she breathed in, her reiki floated around her before being pulled back into her body. After a moment, the air was clear again and Kagome was still on the floor.

A heavy clapping was heard from the doorway and Kagome jumped up, startled. Whipping around, she glared at her dark inu partner and walked over to punch him in the arm playfully. "Don't scare me like that, you jerk," she growled. The demon laughed heartily at her and ruffled her hair with a large hand.

"Lighten up, little one. You will do fine today. Now, come, we are going to work with the sword for an hour and the pudao for two. By then, the Houses will be near and you will need to bath and change." Kagome nodded to him and retrieved her practice sword from the wall. Twirling it easily in her hands easily, she enjoyed the stretch and pull of muscles under her skin and she smiled as Daiki got his own weapon.

For the next hour, the spared with one another and Daiki instructed Kagome on how to properly defend with a sword. He could see Inuyasha's poor sword wielding in her form and he corrected them immediately. She took his advice charitably and followed his instruction he best that she could. Once they were done with the swords, they moved onto their weapons of choice. In his hands, the kamas were deadly. They had sharp, shining blades and thick oak hands. He slowly slid the sheath off of them and spun them between his fingers slowly. His playful grin was Kagome's only reassurance that this huge youkai was her friend. She held her own weapon tight in her hands, feeling her powers tingle in her fingers tips and beg to be used. She pushed them down though, and concentrated on practicing with her weapon of choice. Her muscles remembered such a weapon easily and she as the hours went by, she fell into a comfortable pattern with the weapon in hand. Soon, the sun was pouring through the doorway and Kagome could hear the sounds of the castle waking up. Taking a deep breath to calm her heart rate, she smiled nervously at her partner before the put her weapon away and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"I have to go, wish me luck," she said, her voice feigning confidence. The black inu smiled at her softly and ruffled her hair.

"You will be fine; Lord Sesshoumaru will be with you the whole time," he said quietly before he went back to his exercises. Kagome smiled a little at that and nodded before rushing out of the dojo and to her room. Servants and maids were frantically running through the entryway and halls, yelling things to one another that Kagome didn't understand.

"Three, Soji, THREE!"

"She wanted lavender with goose feathers; she'll have a fit when she finds out!"

"The chickens have gotten loose! Anyone not working, round them up or we have no dinner tonight!"

Kagome dodged around all the commotion and yelling, demon's bustling and running by her without even seeing her. After making it through the battlefield that the entry way was, the young miko made her way quickly toward her room. Maids were rushing down the hallway alongside her, muttering an apology every time they bumped her and bowing before running off and disappearing. Making it safely to her room, she threw the door open and closed it behind her. The ebony locked girl was slightly disappointed to find the area empty, but pushed the thoughts away as she rushed toward the bathing area, stripping out of her training clothes along the way. Leaving them scattered along the floor, she threw the bathing door open and didn't bother closing it as she trotted along the rough rock floor and jumped into the warm water. She didn't give herself time to relax and enjoy is as she surfaced and grabbed the bottle of shampoo that her mother had sent with her. She hadn't used any of it yet, but she wanted to make a good impression on the demons tonight. Knowing that the scent pleased their sensitive noses, she squirted some into her watery palm and rubbed it between her hands before pressing them to her head and rubbing the sweet smelling liquid in. Diving under the water once she was sure none of the sweat in her hair had survived, she shook her head beneath the water to get the soap out before surfacing and grabbing a small wash cloth. Standing on a small rock in the shallowest area of the pool, she scrubbed her skin quickly to get all the sweat and dust from her body before rinsing off the soap and wading her way out of the water.

Grabbing a towel, she dried her body quickly before wrapping the towel around her long, black hair. Padding into her room, she picked grabbed the tabi socks sitting out for her and pulled them onto her small feet. She looked at the three layer kimono that she would need to put on and sighed.

"This is entirely too much clothing," she whispered, her voice a soft grumble, before she pushed her sleeves through the clean white layer and tied it off quickly. Five minutes later, she was pulling a dark silver obi tightly around her waist and tying it tightly. Sesshoumaru had instructed her that she needed to show her loyalty to the West in the colors of her kimono. Digging through her chest a few days before, she had found a deep blue kimono with a large silver crescent on the back. Deeming it more than appropriate, she had it set out for today. Pleased with her own choice, she grinned smugly to herself as the miko knelt in front of her vanity. Happy with how fast her hair had dried, the inky haired woman pulled a brush through all the knots. Once it laid straight and perfect, she bunched it together tightly and wound it into a tight bun on the top of her head. Tying it off with a ribbon, she grabbed a pair of decorative hairpins and chopsticks and pushed them into her hair. One flashed and shined with the little silver dog charm that Sesshoumaru had given her. It struck her then exactly how long she had been here. Holding up fingers as she counted, she realized that she had been in Nishi for nearly three and a half months without even realizing it. She tried to remember the last time she slept by a fire under the star light and realized that the memory was vague. A pang of nostalgia ran through her body and she smiled sadly as she reminisced in the past for a moment. The miko had never thought she would end up in a place such as this. Smiling, she returned to the task of getting ready and adjusted the pins in her hair carefully, until they stuck out and decorated her hair perfectly.

Finished with that, Kagome grabbed a thin brush and dipped it into the basin of water near her vanity before setting the tip into a small dish of black dye. Closing her eyes, the girl carefully ran the brushed against her eyelid and grinned at the straight black line along her lashes. Happy with the eyeliner, she set the brush down and grabbed a small shell from within the vanity. Pulling it open gently, she rubbed her pinky in the lip stain and ran the tip of her finger along her lips. Setting the shell down, she looked at her reflection in near awe.

Living in the feudal era full time had left little room for dressing up. She hadn't gone to any of her school dances and even the festivals she had attended in this time hadn't called for such attire. Smiling softly, finding that she enjoyed feeling like a girl, Kagome rose to her feet and slipped on her dress sandals quickly. Checking once more that she had everything she needed, including the chunk of the tama that she had. Patting it reassuringly, Kagome nodded to herself and took a breath of confidence before she left her room and headed toward Sesshoumaru's study.

The farther she got into the castle, the fewer servants crowded the halls. There were only two rooms past Sesshoumaru's and as far as Kagome could gather, they were either not bedrooms or they were unoccupied. Tempted as she had been a few times, she resisted the urge to peak in the mysterious rooms and continued on her way. The miko could feel her friend's aura emanating powerfully from his study, and she had a feeling it was to tell her to go there. A few minutes later, she slide his shoji door open easily and stepped through the threshold with a smile. Her eyes landed on him and her heart stopped. His clothing was regal and fine, the silk expensive looking. It was similar to his usual attire, but as opposed to red accent there was blue and a large crescent moon was proud on his back. His swords were gone along with the bone armor. His long hair was tied high up on his head and hung down his back. He turned to look at her with cold amber eyes that warmed slightly when they caught sight of her. A small, possessive smirk crossed his face as he set his brush down and stepped around his desk over to her. She slid the door closed carefully and leaned back against it as a blush warmed her face at the look in his eyes. He leaned over her and stared at the pins in her hair, the rogue on her lips, and the black makeup over her eyes. His clawed hand reached out and touched the silver charm in her hair gently with a trace of a smile. He touched the fine blue silk of the kimono and his hand trailed over the moon on her back.

His beast purred with pleasure in the back of his head as he stared at their future mate in the color that made her indisputable theirs. Sesshoumaru ignored the youkai's thoughts and let his fingers trail through a loose strand of hair slowly.

"I find this color pleasing on you, miko. It tells others that you are mine," he said with a soft purr in his voice. Kagome nodded slowly and swallowed. She reached out and let her hands caress the soft fabric of his haori. She could feel the strong muscles beneath the thin shirt and shuddered. Lifting her blue eyes, she stared at his molten amber orbs as his face got closer and closer to hers. Her eyes fluttered for a moment before falling shut.

Bending down, he pressed his lips firmly to hers and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. She eagerly returned the kiss for a moment before her small hands were firm on his shoulders and pushing him away. He growled quietly and looked at her in irritation and confusion. He wanted her and if he wanted her, he would have her. She smiled softly and touched his cheek to calm his irritation.

"I will not have you ruining my hair, makeup, or kimono, _my lord_," she said, playfully, as she stepped away and straightened her obi. She looked at him pointedly before breaking out into a fit of giggles. The taiyoukai growled at her again as he fixed his own top.

"What is so funny, onna?" She continued to giggle as she stepped forward and pressed her hand to his mouth gently. Wiping his lips, she smiled and showed him her hand. Her pale skin was ever so slightly tinted red where it had touched his lips.

"You have lip stain on your mouth," she explained as she rubbed her hands together to remove the stain from her hand. Finished fixing her attire, Kagome smiled at her lord and touched the stripes on his cheek gently. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes at the touch of her fingers and for a moment, he tried to imagine another female touching him like she did. His beast growled in retaliation of the thought.

'_Kagome shall be the only onna to ever touch us. And she will be our mate,'_ the deep voice said forcefully. Sesshoumaru growled silently at the beast.

'_This Sesshoumaru has already made it clear that the miko will never be this one's mate. What do you not understand about that?'_ he asked with clear irritation. The beast snarled at the words and pain shot through Sesshoumaru's head. His brows furrowed in frustration and pain and Kagome frowned in concern. Her other hand reached up to gently touch the small fork between his eyebrows, in an attempt to soothe the pain away. Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open and he slapped her hand away and stepped back from her startled expression. Surprise gave way to pain in mere moments as her eyes filled with agonizing confusion and she stepped forward. The demon lord took another step back and growled at the girl low in his throat.

'_You deny your feelings for the girl just because she is human! What is it about humans that you find so distasteful? Their weakness is what you hate the most about them. When has this girl shown us anything but strength and resilience? We have seen the luxurious, comfortable time that she hails from, a place where she chooses to leave so that she may live here. A time where she must work and fight for survival. You cannot use her human weakness as an excuse, Sesshoumaru, for it is not a valid one. Why do you deny your feelings for this human child?' _his beast argued and demanded. Silence filled Sesshoumaru's head at his words. He was right, it wasn't the girl's humanity that made him rethink and deny his growing feelings for the girl. And as he stared at her now, he couldn't figure out what it was that compelled him to deny his emotions. She was strong, she was beautiful, and they held affections for one another which were more than what most matings were built on. He growled again at the surging pain in his skull and tried to push the thoughts away. Kagome took another careful step toward him in concern, staring at his slightly pink eyes with wide, pained blue ones.

'_This Sesshoumaru needs not to answer to you, beast.' _He heard a deep, almost disgusted scoff in the back of his head

'_You may not need to answer to me, Sesshoumaru, but someday you will need to answer to her. And you best be sure of your answer because if you lose her, you will never be able to get her back. Inuyasha is proof of that.'_ With that, the deep baritone voice was gone. Sesshoumaru blinked, his eyes becoming more gold every second and the pain in his head receding almost as quickly. He straightened his posture and stared at the girl in front of him. Her hand was red where it had been slapped and behind the worry in her azure eyes, there was confused pain. Sesshoumaru felt an odd feeling pool in his chest and stomach and it took him a moment to realize the emotion was guilt. Finding it uncomfortable, he took a step forward and almost winced when Kagome flinched at his movement.

She watched him slowly return to himself and stare at her with cool eyes that quickly filled with regret. She reprimanded herself when she flinched at his movement and willed her body to stand still as he walked toward and took her hand gently. He held it carefully and kissed the back of it. It was rare in demon society for them to 'kiss wounds better', but he had watched Kagome do it many times when the children would fall and scrape their hands and knees.

"Are you okay?" her small voice asked tentatively as he straightened. He paused for a moment before nodding slowly. After a moment, she spoke again. "What happened?" Sesshoumaru sighed at the question and thought of the best way to answer it.

"As you know, I am a demon. Every demon has an inner beast. In more powerful youkai, an inner beast has almost a personality of their own. They are able to speak and give a powerful youkai advice in time of battle and such. My beast found something displeasing and proceeded to argue with this Sesshoumaru. A demon and his youkai should be in unison, in harmony with one another, when they are not, it causes extreme pain in a demon's head. This pain calls to the inner youkai for protection and the beast will start to take control. This Sesshoumaru was fighting with this beast and it caused me to lash out," he explained slowly, still holding her bruised appendage. Guilt was definitely an uncomfortable emotion. He traced his thumb over it carefully before releasing her hand and straightening to his full height. "Come, we must go and great the Houses. The first is fast approaching."

Kagome nodded, her eyes becoming bright and she smiled happily. As nervous as she was to be around so many powerful demons, she was excited to learn more about the demon society. She followed after him, walking alongside him in silence. Force of habit made her reach out for his hand and she took it in hers gently. He glanced down at her, but couldn't see anything but the top of her head. Her aura was nervous, and there was the bitter taste of sadness in it. He was about to inquire as to what caused this sadness when a bright, excited voice filled the hall and came charging toward them.

Rin and Shippou, dressed to their finest, were smiling and running down the hall toward them. Shippou launched his small body into Kagome's arms and she released Sesshoumaru's hand just in time to catch the little kitsune without falling. She hugged him gently and smiled as she appraised his clothes and touched the fine silk.

"Be sure not to get anything on this, okay?" she said firmly, looking at the little boy pointedly to show how serious she was. Smiling falling, the boy nodded solemnly before wiggling out of her arms and standing next to Rin. Kagome looked to her too and smiled sweetly. "You look very pretty in your kimono, Rin." Rin's answering smile was wide and joyful as she spun in a tight circle and held her arms out. Shippou giggled at her and started to spin with her. Kagome smiled at them before she knelt down and gathered the children near her. They stopped giggling immediately and stared at her intently.

"Now, tonight is very important to Lord Sesshoumaru. You need to be on your best behavior. We'll go the greeting ceremony and then Sesshoumaru and I have to go to the meeting. Once the meeting is over, we will come and get you to go to dinner," she explained seriously, looking them both in the eye so that they got the message that this was a formal event. They nodded in unison before they smiled widely and Shippou grabbed her hand. Rin trotted over and hesitantly reached out for Sesshoumaru's hand. The icy lord had watched the conversation with little interest and now looked down at his young ward reaching for his hand. He saw the hesitation in her eyes and nodded slowly, enjoying the bright look in her eyes and the childish grin that spread over her lips as she reached out and took his hand in the same fashion that the kit had grabbed the miko's. Glancing at the girl, he scoffed quietly at her approving smile as she began to lead the red headed boy down the hall. Sesshoumaru swept after her with Rin's hand holding his tightly. A few minutes later, Jaken came running down the hall and, upon seeing them, bowed and asked the children to follow him. Kagome kissed Shippou's cheek gently before pushing him softly toward Jaken and smiling. The two kits smiled back and ran down the hall with the imp eagerly. Kagome smiled after them before smiling at the demon lord and continuing down the hall.

Entering the entry area, Kagome was taken aback by the transformation it had gone under. Large, regal tapestries were hung on the walls, woven with epic scenes of dog demons fighting or howling at the moon. The servants were lined up along the walkway and they all bowed as Sesshoumaru lead Kagome, by a hand on her back, to where they were to stand to greet the other houses. Sesshoumaru had explained to her a few days ago that each house would get a certain number of servants to attend to them while they were here. He had said that most didn't require them because they brought their own, and the ladies brought their ladies in waiting.

"It is a trust issue," he explained at the time. Kagome understood the concept, but couldn't understand why the houses didn't completely trust each other. They were not at war, so what reason was there for such measures? She had refrained from asking, though, and considered questioning it now. She rethought it as Sesshoumaru stopped at the entry of the dining hall. Kagome eyed him curiously, wondering why they were at the dining hall. He caught her gaze and spoke quietly to her.

"We will greet them here, and their servants will show them to their rooms. They will be given an hour to settle in and get comfortable in their rooms. Then, a servant will escort them to the meeting room. Once the meeting has been completely, we will eat dinner and drink and acquaint ourselves with the guest. After that, everyone goes to bed. The tournament tomorrow doesn't start until mid-morning, and after that there is the festival. Until the tournament, you may train or you can go to the festivities and meet the vendors of Nishi."

Kagome nodded at his muttered explanation and took a shuddery breath to calm her nerves about the tournament. While she was confident in her abilities, she knew that it wouldn't be a cake walk. She knew that it was going to take everything she had to fight the best demons of the three other houses. She was about to turn and ask Sesshoumaru when the first house was set to arrive when a familiar aura caressed her own and made her stiffen. She turned her head sharply and looked out the far off door with strained blue eyes.

Jewel shards. They were approaching slowly, two of them, at a walking pace toward the castle. They were close, really close. Kagome's eyebrows furrowed in confusion about the aura and the power of the jewels, wondering why they were here and now and she turned to Sesshoumaru to ask. His amber eyes were playful and mocking, a ghost of a smirk on his pale lips. She scowled at him and poked his side hard.

"Why didn't you tell me that Kouga would be here?" she hissed between her teeth, attempting to keep a polite smile. Sesshoumaru chuckled quietly and Kagome glared.

"I had assumed that you knew that the wolf is the Lord of the East." Kagome growled quietly under her breath before huffing and turned away from him.

She hated it when he was right.

Seconds later, the first of the wolves entered the castle. They eyed the finery wearily, not used to the pomp and luxuries of a castle. Kagome easily recognized Ginta and Hakkaku when they passed through the door and their eyes trained on her. Their usual pelts and furs were traded in for finer clothes and traditional clothing. They still had soft furs draped over their shoulders though that were much less matted and dirty than their normal ones.

They grinned at her happily and waved a little, not able to say anything at the moment. Kagome could see the curiosity and confusion burning in their light, feral eyes and she sighed warily at the promise of Kouga's outburst at the sight of her. She braced herself as she felt his aura and the jewel shards pass through the threshold of the castle. Their eyes met almost immediately and Kagome watched the curious tint rise in his eyes before he broke their locked gazes and looked down at the wolf on his arm. Kagome followed his eyes and was surprised to see Ayame hold his arm formally. Her traditional pigtails were decorated with pins and she was in an apple green kimono that brushed the floor flirtatiously, a pure while pelt wrapped around her shoulders. Kagome could see through the heavy fabric of the kimono though, the gently baby bump that swelled Ayame's belly. Glancing back at Kouga, she looked up and down his clean appearance. He was dressed much like Sesshoumaru, with a fur hanging down his back and almost to the floor. He had a sword on his hip and Kagome was surprised to see him wearing shoes. She had never seen Kouga looking so civilized. She looked at his clean, brushed hair was the tied high on his head. His headband was absent and through his bangs, she could see the dark green of his demon mark on his forehead. She wondered for a moment what it was before she pushed the thoughts away as they stopped in front of her and Sesshoumaru.

The demon lord had watched the emotions play over the miko's face and was glad to see that she was not angry about the presence of the ookami. Moving his eyes to the pair in front of him, him and Kouga bowed to each other as Kagome bowed to Ayame. They grinned at each other under as they bowed their heads and tried to hold in giggles. Turning to Kouga, Kagome half bowed at the same time Sesshoumaru half bent to the red headed wolf. Once they had all straightened, Kouga took a small breath.

"I am Kouga, Lord of the Eastern wolf tribes. This is my mate, Ayame. We are grateful to be welcome within the palace of the West." His voice was loud and sounded powerfully through the hall. Kagome smiled at her friend and turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru. He bent his head toward her and she grinned.

"We welcome you, Kouga of the East," she said kindly, skipping her name.

'_He already knows it anyway,'_ she thought as she saw the crooked grin spread over Kouga's face and he leaned toward her slightly.

"We have a lot to talk about, Kagome," he said softly, grin still in place and eyes sparkling with mischief and curiosity. Kagome glanced at Ayame's swollen belly and a grin crossed her lips.

"We do indeed," she whispered back.

Within minutes, Kouga and the rest of the wolves were being escorted down the hall by a small bear youkai that stuttered when he said words with 's' in them. Kagome smiled after them before turning to look at the next house to enter.

Kagome could feel their auras wash over her as they stepped up the stairs and into the castle. Their growling green and orange eyes told her quickly that they were feline demons. They hair was long and untamed, barely bound by clips and pins. Their eyes darted this way and that, a tempting smirk permanent on their sharp faces. Bright purple diamonds were prominent on their foreheads and easily seen under hairs of fiery reds and bright oranges and browns. The stripes on their cheeks were blood curdling red on high cheek bones and pointed toward sharp noses. The first few only had one stripe on each cheek and they walked with a certain pounce in their step, as if they were ready to attack on the instant. Kagome felt shivers run up her spine as she caught sight of the lord and lady of the house.

The male was large; his long sandy gold hair was freckled with browns and burnt orange, going beautifully with his caramel tanned skin. His sharp eyes were a deep green that swam with wisdom and instinct. His hair was bound in a low ponytail that hung halfway down his back and a large scar ran down over his left eye. Kagome wondered about the story behind that scar as she turned her eyes to his mate. She was a smaller demon, only slightly bigger than Kagome. Her long orange hair had hints of black in it and was left unbound. It swayed in the light breeze drifting in from outside. Her eyes were a brown, almost a hazel, which danced with uncertainty and shyness. Her kimono was a deep red with triangles scattered over the hem of the kimono and sleeves. Her eyes caught Kagome's and tightened with anxiety. The miko wondered what was causing this little demoness so much stress. She was still trying to figure it out when they stopped in front of her and bows were exchanged. Once standing tall, the male cleared his throat and spoke.

"I am Taimu, Lord of the Northern Lands. This is my mate, Airi. We are joyous to be welcomed into the castle of the West." His voice was gruff and rugged, but oddly warm and Kagome found herself smiling. Taimu returned the smile before stepping aside and sweeping his arm back.

"And these are our children. The tallest is our princess, Akiye, who will reach her two hundred fiftieth year this spring. The younger is our prince and my heir, Kazuhari." The two children bowed to Kagome and Sesshoumaru and smiled politely. Kagome stared at them, struck by how beautiful they were. The daughter looked more like her father; her dark gold hair was cut short and tied into small pigtails at the base of her head. Her face was speckled with little freckles and her eyes were a grass green. She was slightly taller than her mother and her eyes held the same warm friendliness that her father's did. The boy was more reserved. His skin had the same dark tiny of his father but his hair had an orange overcast to its seeming sandy color. His eyes were closer to a brown than his sister's, but in the right light they almost appeared orange. He had none of the freckles his sister did, but they both shared the same markings as their father. Kagome couldn't help but smile at them.

"The West welcomes you. I am Lord Sesshoumaru of the West and this is my…" Sesshoumaru had to pause and look down at the miko. She peeked up at him curiously, perplexed by what had stopped him. Her eyes were warm and trusting, threatening to drown him if he didn't look away. Tearing his eyes from her, he met the Northern lord's eyes and continued, "This is my companion, Kagome."

Kagome nodded once and smiled reassuringly at the feline family. The male returned it joyously and when he looked down at his mate, his eyes were gentle. He nudged her softly and she peeked at the futuristic miko's friendliness and returned it with a tentative half smile. Soon, the neko tribe was being led away by a tall lizard demon that had just arrived at the castle the week before. Kagome hoped that he knew where he was going as the group disappeared down the hall. Kagome let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and abruptly found that she was tired. She slumped against Sesshoumaru's arm and hummed softly.

"What sort of cats were they?" she asked softly, her aura spread out to feel for the last of the houses. Sesshoumaru shifted slightly and Kagome readjusted before he answered her question.

"Taimu is a cheetah demon; he came to Japan from foreign country when he was very young. His father died and his mother got on a slave ship and ended up here. She was very popular for her strange beauty and the dark tint of her skin. She mated the Lord of the North soon after coming here. Since she bore no more sons to the lord, Taimu, although illegitimate, became the successor of the throne. His mate, Airi, is a tiger demon. She is also from a foreign land. Taimu, wishing to stay true to his heritage, left this place to return home to choose his mate. It created much controversy, but as lord, few could do little to argue with him," he explained as he eyed the hall they had disappeared down wearily, "I advise that you be careful of the neko youkai while they are here, they are known to mate and bed with multiple mates and partners, of either sex."

Kagome nodded at his words, fascinated by the history of the lord and lady of the North.

"I hadn't know that demons of this time knew of other countries," she commented as she straightened, feeling the first ripple of the Southern house. Sesshoumaru snorted and looked down his nose at her.

"We hold much more knowledge than the ningen of this time, miko," he said, his voice arrogant and superior. He flicked his eyes to the door as the strong, ominous aura of the South filled the room. He felt the miko bristle under its strange power and take a deep breath as she attempted to reign in her powers. Since the North had entered, they danced at her finger tips and begged to be used. She ignored their demons and pushed them down as the regal South walked toward them.

Her outfit was plum purple and a fuchsia dot adorns each breast. Looking to her, Kagome was struck by her features. They were foreign yet so familiar that it took Kagome aback. Her stick straight black hair hung down her back and was loosely braided. At the nape of her neck, Kagome could see the strange sheen of dark black scales shine in the light. Her blunt bangs hung perfectly over her vibrant lavender eyes and her fangs stuck out over her lips. Three dots decorated her forehead and a single stripe was on cheek. The back of her hands had large patches of black scales that ran up her arm and under her sleeve. The powerful lady youkai held a certain aloofness that demanded respect.

She stopped just in front of the West pair and everyone bowed. The dragon had a smirk playing on her lips again.

"I am Mei-Xing, Lady of the Southern Lands. I am humbled to have the Lord of the West invite me into his House," the only way that Kagome could describe her voice was slippery silk. Alluring and enchanting as it promised mysteries and hypnotized its prey. It was slightly mocking and Kagome had to fight off a scowl.

Kagome blinked at the name though and knew now that the woman was foreign. Kagome wasn't even sure that she could say that name. As if sensing her confusion, the sleek woman laughed quietly and locked her bright eyes on the miko woman.

"You may call me Mei. I know how hard it can be for the Japanese to speak some Chinese names," she said, her voice sultry and sweet in the same breath. The hidden promises were near intoxicating in their voices. Kagome shook her head and took a slight step back from them with her head bent. She only peeked up at them when she saw them part from one another and the dragon's smooth voice filled the air.

"And this is my prince and heir, Raiden." Kagome turned to face to the boy and sucked in a shocked breath. His bright green eyes pierced her equally bright blue ones and she saw him grin. His fangs were easy to see along the straight white teeth. His skin was pale, a strange shade of white that she didn't know skin could be. His hair was longer than his mothers and braided in a similar way. He had two markings on his forehead and a stripe on each cheek. His eyes sparked with lust and mischievous deeds. Kagome swallowed harshly and half stepped closer to Sesshoumaru, a small amount of fear entering her blood from the dragon heir's presence.

"I am Lord Sesshoumaru and my house welcomes you. This is my companion, Kagome." Kagome nodded once, not letting her eyes meet the vibrant colors of theirs. She could almost feel their smirks crawling over her skin and it made her shiver in discomfort. She was glad when they were taken away by a stoic mouse demon that rarely spoke to anyone. The only company they had brought with them as a shaking mouse youkai with a large purple bruise staining her cheek. Kagome watched them go and let out a deep breath once they had disappeared. She could feel the sympathy and sadness for the little girl and she sighed heavily.

She glanced up to Sesshoumaru and wondered where they were going now that all the Houses had arrived. He felt her blue eyes studying his face and peered down at her before turning and sweeping out of the room toward his study. Kagome looked at the bustling servants that now moved about the castle to help the guests. She knew that she was no help there, so the futuristic miko trotted after the icy taiyoukai. Grabbing her kimono in tiny fists, she lifted it off the ground to jog after him and let it fall to sweep the floor again when she caught up with him. Taking a deep breath, she walked in silence with the demon lord and wondered about the people she had just met. She could still feel the predatory gaze of the aloof dragons dancing over her skin and she shuttered beneath her kimono and rubbed her arms to dismiss the goose bumps there. The inu looked down at her with emotionless eyes as he watched her rub her arms.

"What are you doing, miko?" he asked coolly, his lips curling at the corner slightly when he noticed her start at his voice. Her cheeks gained a tint of color and she looked away in embarrassment as her hands dropped from her arms and she started to tug at the hem of her sleeves.

"The dragons made me uneasy," she said truthfully. Their brilliant eyes still shone in her memory and another shudder shook her to her core. The demon grunted softly at this and turned his icy eyes from her form.

"I had not met the new lady of the South before today. Their previous Lord was killed in a tragic accident and she was quickly appointed as Lady, being his only child. I had not heard anything about her and never before had met her." Kagome nodded at his explanation, still rubbing goose bumps away. After a few moments, they came to a grand set of doors. With easy, Sesshoumaru pushed them open and led his tiny companion in.

Kagome looked around the expansive room in front of them with awe. Two large, polished oak tables ran parallel to each other in the middle of the room, two large chairs on either side of each table with two small chairs on the sides of those. The chairs faced toward the middle of the room and each chair had a glass of water in front of it. The chairs were each embroidered with a different color thread, and after a moment of looking at them all in turn, she realized that they corresponded to the colors of the four houses. Turning to stare at her taiyoukai companion, she raised a brow and gestured to the room.

"What is all this?"

"This is the grand meeting room where the four houses meet and discuss whatever is to be talked on. Each lord or lady is permitted to bring two of the people they trust most in the world. This year, you and my general will accompany this Sesshoumaru," he explained quietly as he motioned to the chairs that they would fill. Kagome followed after him slowly and watched as he took his seat with eternal grace and she was left looking at each other offered chairs. Having not completely internalized the youkai customs, she was unsure of what seat to take.

"The right one, miko," a silky, baritone voice said with a slight hint of teasing as the inu watched the raven haired girl try to decide what seat to take. The look on her face had been quite amusing. A slight blushed filled the tops of her cheeks as she scrambled to take the seat to his right and scooted up to the high table slowly, wincing when the chair screeched against the floor. The odd pair sat in relative silence for a moment before Kagome sighed and placed her forehead against the cool material of the table. The demon lord watched this action and raised a perfect snowy brow at her.

"What are you doing, miko?" He heard a muffled answer from the girl, followed by a muted groan as she turned her head to look his way. She moved her bangs out of her face. Nervousness was struck deep in her bright eyes and her fingers continued to tug and pull at the ends of her sleeves. She bit her full lower lip gently and sighed before starting.

"I'm just, I'm nervous about the tournament and the ball and what if I inadvertently offend the entirety of demon royalty and bring shame to the pack and I've never been in a position like this before," she ended quickly, her breath fast and panic rising quickly in her aura and scent. Sensing a panic attack coming on, Sesshoumaru reached out a hand instinctively and rested it on her cheek, the heat beneath her skin near intoxicating. Her breath stopped and heartbeat skipped for a slip second of shock as Kagome stared at her demon companion's golden eyes. They were filled with compassion and warmth, swimming like molten gold.

'_Why didn't I ever notice all this emotion before? People say that he has no feelings and is made of ice, but haven't they ever looked at his eyes. It's all there,'_ she thought to herself as she unconsciously leaned toward them. Said eyes watched her carefully, half open. As their faces approached, Kagome could feel his hot breath blowing lightly over her nose and mouth. Sucking in a breath when she realized she wasn't breathing, she blushed brightly and pulled away slowly. Again, those mesmerizing golden eyes watched her every movement as she returned to her seat and fiddled with her sleeves. An awkward silence fell over them and Kagome cleared her throat in an attempt to speak to fill it.

"When are the lords and ladies set to arrive here?" she asked quietly when she realized they had been alone in the room for some time now. She looked to the door and her brows scrunched together.

"They will arrive soon; the first of them is nearly here."

Kagome nodded absent mindedly as she tentatively reached out her reiki to greet whoever was coming and try to decipher who they were. A familiar youki touched hers warmly and pleasantly, and Kagome broke out into a brilliant smile as she rose to her feet and padded toward the door just as it was opened.

"Koga, Ayame, it's so good to see you both," she said happily once she reached them and hugged the fellow female enthusiastically. The red world returned the hug eagerly and smiled brightly at her ningen friend. While they had once been enemies for Koga's lover, the rivalry had long since passed and Ayame was glad that she could befriend with woman. Surrounded by wolves all the time, despite being one, could get tiresome and the demoness was excited to get some time with her friend.

"Kagome, it's so good to see you as well. It's been so long, what are you doing here? Especially with Sesshoumaru?" the she-wolf lowered her voice when she said his name, her eyes flickering to him for half a second before returning to her miko friend. Kagome smiled and cast her own eyes to the frozen demon who was conversing pleasantly with Koga about something she couldn't hear. She shrugged with her eyes still pinned to him and smiled.

"It's a long story, maybe while you're here I can tell you," she said softly, finally ripping her eyes from the silver inu and looking at the wolf. Ayame saw the look in her eyes, the same look she used to see her parents give each other. She just smiled though and kept her mouth shut. There would be plenty of time later to interrogate the little miko ningen.

The small group chatted pleasantly amongst themselves for a few more minutes until the deep creak of the door alerted them that another lord had arrived. Taimu stuck his massive head in and smiled nicely at them, his fangs poking out from under his lips slightly and giving him the look of a playful kitten. Kagome placed a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling; the image in her head of him playing with a ball of string was priceless. Calming herself, she bowed slightly as he approached and grinned. He was dressed less formally than before and his long hair that had been previously tied high on his head was now braided down his back. He seemed happy, a smile still dancing on his lips as he approached and clapped a hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, jostling him a little.

"Sesshoumaru, my boy, it's so good to see you," he boomed loudly, a hearty laugh following the statement as he retracted his hand and motioned forward the two people that had followed him. One of the cats that had come in before Taimu earlier walked slowly into the room and looked around with shifted yellow eyes. The other was the young princess of the North. She had a nervous smile on her face and she walked slowly toward her father. Kagome smiled at her encouragingly before she turned back to Taimu.

"It's nice to meet you, Lord of the North," she said formally, trying to tame down the smile on her lips. The cheetah demon's eyes widened for a moment before he laughed again and a heavy hand fell onto her shoulder as well. Kagome's knees buckled at the weight and bent as her body absorbed the shock of the friendly blow and she concentrated on remaining standing.

"Shikon miko, there is no need to be so formal, please call me Taimu," he said earnestly, his bright eyes dancing with joy. Kagome smiled as he took his hand from her body and nodded as she stood straight again and rubbed her shoulder gently.

"Okay, Taimu-sama."

Within minutes, the familiar aura of the dragon's splashed against Kagome's reiki and she shuddered where she stood talking to Taimu. The large demon saw this and raised a bushy brow before he turned to the door and a look of understanding lit his eyes.

The fierce queen of the south brushed her way into the room with the eternal grace of a snake and it made Kagome green with envy. She suddenly felt very plain in the presence of the exotic royalty. Frowning, she turned to Sesshoumaru and raised a brow. He returned to look and motioned toward their seats; Kagome nodded and turned from the dragon to take a seat at the chair to the right of Sesshoumaru's. Everyone filed to their seats and once everyone was seated and comfortable, Sesshoumaru cleared his throat authoritatively and rose.

"I, Lord Sesshoumaru of the West, hereby commence the grand meeting of the Four House Ceremonies. We will start with the reports from the house of the North. Next will be the West, then the East, and lastly the South," Kagome did not miss the angry, but cold look that the sleek queen of the South gave her companion and felt a fierce jolt of protectiveness run through her veins. A growled bubbled in her chest, surprising her. She blushed lightly and swallowed the feral sound as she glanced away from the vile woman and around the table. The other lords looked content and Koga and Taimu caught her glance and each winked at her conspicuously. Happy to see that the room was not filled with enemies, Kagome settled more comfortably into her seat and looked up at Sesshoumaru as he introduced her. She stood automatically and offered a slight bow to the entire table before falling back into her seat and folding her hands in her lap. Sesshoumaru took his seat as well and was silent for a moment before he nodded to the Northern Lord and Taimu rose to speak.

A little over an hour later, Taimu finally sat with a content expression on his face. The disputes between youkai where his land met the land of the South had seen the end of many of his people and he was glad to have settled an agreement with the cool queen of the South to have laws put in place to deter the fighting. Other than that, it had been things about fields and the numbers of babies born and things that Kagome truly had no interest in. Twice she had felt her attention begin to wander only to be drug back to the present with a question aimed toward her or Sesshoumaru's nudging her gently with is foot. She was happy now that it was the West's turn to speak, seeing as now it would be a topic that meant something to her. Sitting straighter in her chair, she glued her eyes to Sesshoumaru as he rose.

"While I am aware that there are many problems that plague the lands, the most important of which will be the first to be addressed at this assembly. And that is the issue of the dark hanyou, Naraku. Recently, he has done extensive damage to the lands of the West and East, as well as wreaking havoc among the villages. The aim of us assembled here today will be to make a plan to cease the existence of this nuisance."

The room filled with a pregnant silence and even the shifting of cloth was uncomfortable. The inky haired miko glanced around the room at the different youkai and noted emotions ranging from fury to determination to boredom on their faces. A frown caught her lips and her dark eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. Why weren't they infuriated by his presence and up in arms at his destruction? The girl looked to Sesshoumaru with confused eyes and she could see the golden orbs tightening with frustration and displeasure. Finally, Taimu rose and cleared his throat.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, with all due respect, is it truly a problem for the counsel when this 'dark hanyou' has only affected the lands of the East and West?" While Kagome was outraged by the question, she bit her tongue and tried to understand where Taimu was coming from. From the sound of his voice, he was genuinely curious as to why Sesshoumaru would bring this to the table. She turned her eyes to her companion with an expectant expression and he met her eyes for a brief second before barely nodding. Kagome took a deep breath and willed her voice not to shake as she rose and let her bright eyes scan the table.

"Lord Taimu, while yes, Naraku hasn't targeted the North or South yet, what's to say he won't? I have first hand encountered this vile being on multiple occasions and wouldn't be surprised if you, at some point, became the target of his cruelty. He is heartless, vile, corrupted and distorted by greed and will stop at nothing to get what he wants," she explained her voice even and calm. Sesshoumaru could see her hands shake slightly against her sleeves and he knew that she was thinking of the disturbing dreams the demon had sent her. Holding in a protective growl, he kept his hands to himself and surveyed the group. Taimu seemed surprised and skeptical of why she had answered his question. Koga looked angry at the mention of the hanyou, but an odd spark of pride was shining in his dark eyes. Turning his eyes finally to the impassive lady of the South, he wanted to growl at the pretentious, arrogant look in her eyes.

"And what is this thing that he seeks so avidly?" Taimu asked; his voice slow with indecision. Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru before fingering the chain around her neck and pulling out the jewel slowly. It shone in the dull light of the room with purity and grace, and Kagome exhaled quietly at its beauty. The demons stiffened. The air tightened. The room stilled. Kagome slowly slid the jewel out of view, masking its power with her own easily. The entire room let out a shuddery breath and slumped in their seats, save Sesshoumaru. His sharp golden eyes were trained to each demon, waiting for a sign of attack or jewel crazed hostility. Seeing none, he allowed his own limps to relax and he returned his attention to the miko.

"I am the miko of the Shikon no Tama. I, incidentally, am also the one that shattered it into hundreds of pieces, only to have it scattered all over the continent. The only two creatures with pieces of this great power are I and the evil one. He wants to use this power to destroy you, destroy the humans, destroy everything. He wishes to rule and feels the need to destroy it all and start from scratch. We must stop him, or he will defeat us all." With another look into each of the eyes of the demons at the table, Kagome sat gracefully and fell silent. Silence reigned for a moment before a snort was heard across the table. All heads whipped around to look at the icy Lady of the South.

"Why should we put our faith and trust in the foolish human girl who started this entire mess?" she asked with a sharp edge to her velvety voice. Kagome could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, and had to fight down the snarl building in her throat. Clearing it quietly, she held her head high and spoke.

"I know it's my fault that this happened, that's why I'm the one asking for your assistance. I need to stop Naraku and whether you help me or not, I will defeat him. I am asking for your help so as to make this defeat sooner, rather than later. So, that he does not have more time to destroy these lands. Excuse me for being responsible for my mistakes and seeking to clear my honor." Her voice was hard and pointed, her mouth a painted scowl and her aura dancing in her eyes. The queen of the South sneered at her, and she muttered something that Kagome's ears could not catch. Disregarding the whispered comment, Kagome leaned back in her seat and clasped her hands together tightly. The room was once again tense, and silent.

"Perhaps, we should let this new, and rather important, information sit in our heads for a time before we discuss it further?" Taimu offered after a few moments. A quiet sound of agreement fell from each mouth.

No more was said about Naraku at the meeting.

The rest of the lords and lady spoke on issues that Kagome had little knowledge on and occasionally they asked her questions that she could answer. Soon, everyone was filling out of the meeting room in groups of twos and threes, Kagome and Sesshoumaru left sitting. Slowly, she reached out a small hand and grabbed his tightly.

"Why don't they care? I thought that once I explained Naraku to them, they would realize that he needs to be stopped. I thought we would be coming up with plans to find him by now! Why don't they care?" she demanded, her voice hot and loud. Sesshoumaru wanted to wince at the outrage, disbelief, and devastation seeping into her voice. Sesshoumaru felt her shaking. Kagome felt his hand trace the line of her shoulders. Sesshoumaru pulled her closer. Kagome clung to his sanity, his comfort, and his confidence.

"They will help us, miko," he stated simply. Kagome took in a breath and held it for a minute before letting it out and nodding against his shoulder. Pulling away from him, she smiled and stood with a loud and wide stretch and yawn.

"Come, we need to get the children, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha for dinner. Tomorrow, I fight for the honor of the West," the inky haired miko said with a grin. Sesshoumaru snorted quietly at her, but also rose and the two slowly walked out of the meeting room.

….

The slip of silk was gently as it slid across the threshold of a guest bedroom. Bright pained lips and piercing jewel eyes scanned the darkness of the room and grinned at the glint of light in the corner. Walking over slowly, the woman touched the finely crafted, ornate silver mirror sitting on the low table in her room. The dragon queen glanced at the slumped over shell of the boy that her master had sent along with her. His eyes were faint and glossy now, as if he had died right there on the floor. She sneered at him and turned her head away from the pathetic sight. Sending a human in disguise with her was absolutely ridiculous, in her opinion. He had little to no mind of his own and could hardly speak unless bid to. She glanced at the body and frowned one last time before returning her attentions to the mirror. Her fingers traced the edges gently and she let her thumb linger on the tiny silver spider sitting proudly at the top of the mirror. The smile grew and her eyes shone red. The mirror responded to her call and glowed a soft white for a moment before flickering with the image of a spider.

"You are in the castle?"

"Yes, Lord Naraku."

"Good, observe the girl. Find out what this weakness of hers shall be. Once you have pinpointed it, report to me. After that, I will give you the rest of your orders. Failure will bring your end," Naraku said with a soft chuckle and a glint of malice dancing in his eyes. Mei smiled at him and gave a low bow. She knew that she could not fail, lest she wish to be reabsorbed into Naraku's body. She nodded once more to his reflection and the mirror went dark.

Naraku smiled at Kanna's now blank mirror and cackled softly as he stood from her and walked slowly forward. Kikyou had just left his castle and was heading toward the West. While she still refused to set foot on Sesshoumaru's castle grounds, her scent would be enough to distract Inuyasha and get him off the castle grounds. The hanyou needed the clay witch to convince Inuyasha to take Kagome to the well. According to Kanna's prophecy, she would be her weakest on the day that she attempted to jump down the well. Still, Naraku did not understand completely why she insisted on jumping into the foolish well.

"Perhaps that will be something I ask her when she is here. There will be so much time that we need to fill."

A chuckle in the dark before Naraku pushed his bedroom door open and grinned at the whimpering that followed it. Chained to the wall next to his bed, a timid dragon shook violently. Her pale skin was naked and covered in bruises and small gashes, some that still bled. Her once long, beautiful black hair was now cut unevenly; tangled and matted with dried blood and dirt; it stuck out at odd angles. Naraku smiled at the cruel sight and walked slowly toward her.

"My puppet looks just like you, and Kohaku, once the spell was finished, looks almost identical to your son. I wonder, could even you tell the difference between them now. They look the same, talk the same, and act the same. The only real difference is, while Kohaku acts dead… Your son is actually dead," the disturbed demon mused, enjoying the soft keening that followed. Chuckling, he turned and touched her cheek softly, grabbing her chin when she attempted to flinch away.

"This is what you get for being so shy and never meeting the other lords. They would know that Mei isn't you if you hadn't stayed in the South all closed up. Now, it's too late. Mei is in the castle, Kohaku is playing dress up as your son, your son and mate are dead and here you are. With no one to blame, but yourself."

Hands touched skin that didn't want them there and the night continued with tears, broken hearts, and the satisfaction of a half demon twisted with greed.


	10. Chapter 10

Kagome smiled brightly as she walked through the early morning halls and listened to the sounds of the world waking up. Dinner had passed without much event the night before, save Taimu teasing her for refusing to partake in alcohol before the tournament.

"Call me superstitious all you want, I'm not taking one sip," she had said, her arms crossed over her chest stubbornly and her mind made up. The tipsy tiger had continued to pester her all night, until his timid mate apologized and lead his singing form off to bed. Kagome snickered at the memories and half heartedly hoped that Taimu would have a wonderful hangover this morning. She giggled at the idea of the youkai curled up under a blanket and whimpering at his headache.

"I don't know if demons even get headaches," she mumbled to herself as she pushed open the heavy kitchen door and snuck into the cooking area quietly. The angry brown cat still sat on the window sill, his eyes cracked open and his furry mouth twisted in an ever present scowl. Kagome ran her hand gently over his spine and grinned when he arched his back into her hand. Scratching his head once, she willed herself away from the cat and grabbed the last of the apples from a small bucket at the end of the low counter. Biting into it as she exited the room, she wondered when the rest of the castle would wake up. Sesshoumaru had been gone when she had awoken, and the children were still asleep. The ebony haired girl shrugged the thoughts away, however, and exited the castle into the frosty morning. The first signs of snow were showing in the mountains and Kagome could feel the anticipation bubbling in her stomach. Winter was one of her favorite times of the year and she loved seeing snow in the feudal era. It was pure, white, untouched and untainted by the pollution and grime of her time. She cherished the moments when she could see absolutely beauty in nature, before humans got a chance to set their hands on it. Kagome shook her head in disgust at the memories of trash and grime painting the streets. Pushing the thoughts away, she walked casually over to the dojo and entered the semi-warm building with a content smile. Even Daiki was not here yet. Plopping herself on the floor comfortably, she began to do light stretches. She enjoyed the pull and tug of muscles as they worked themselves into the positions that she requested them too. She enjoyed the feeling of her body warming naturally and her limps becoming loose and ready to work. The girl smiled happily, feeling more peaceful than she had in a long time. Lately her mind had been so wrapped around the ceremonies and the children and her feelings for Sesshoumaru and her friends being in the castle that she had hardly a moment to breath. It was nice to be able to relax and take a step back. Regaining her upright position, she held her arms out straight before letting them slowly fall as she exhaled. She let a bright smile split across her face as she stretched her arms high over her head and curled her fingers and toes in joy. Her limps now loose and ready to fight, she stood— bouncing on her toes and wiggling her wrists— in front of a cotton sack filled with straw. Curling her fists in front of her, she held them in front of her middle and face as if the punching bag was going to strike back at her. She continued to bounce on the balls of her feet before digging them into the dojo floor and throwing out a stiff wristed punch. It struck the sack with a muffled thump and the sound continued as Kagome dodged and ducked around the inanimate bag as if it posed a threat to her. Soon, a light sheen of sweat formed on her forehead and her breathing increased as she dug her naked heel hard into the fabric before falling to her feet and straightening her posture. Letting her form relax, she rubbed the perspiration from her and grinned. She looked down at her small, but strong hands and flexed her thin fingers. She continued to look up her arms, taking in all the faint battle scars and the light bruises from training. Earlier in the morning, while she had been getting dressed for the day, she had been able to catch a glimpse at the pink scars across her shoulders. Earlier in the month, the last of the scabs had finally disappeared and left behind scars that had yet to fade. Once she was done looking at her back, she peeled the bandage off her face and was happy to see that her cheek was almost completely healed. It had completely scabbed over and most of it had turned the deep red-pink of scarring. She was glad the injuries were disappearing, but less than pleased with the obvious scar. She didn't like to be reminded of the reason she had the burn in the first place. Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around her body and held herself as she pushed the disturbing memories from her mind. She needed to concentrate today.

Behind her, she could feel Daiki enter the room and grinned at his loud yawn. Turning around, she bent her knees and threw all her muscular power into her feet as she rushed the sleepy demon and kicked him hard in the gut.

Daiki had just woken up and was not expecting such a fierce attack; he grunted loudly and stumbled back a few feet toward the entrance. Holding his ground, he threw a dark look at his little miko companion and a playful snarl grew on his lips. Soon, the unusual pair was a flurry of kicks and punches and the large dojo was alive with the sounds of fighting, snarling, growling, laughing, and breathing. It was late into the morning, approaching midday, when a cleared throat at the door caught the attention of the sweaty team. They both grinned, silly grins, at the silver haired youkai and clapped hands with each other firmly before approaching their lord. Daiki bowed slightly to Sesshoumaru and watched with curious eyes when Kagome leaned up to kiss his cheek. The demon lord looked at her with a raised brow before returning his attention to both of them.

"The tournament is to start soon. I will not have my competitors famished. I want you both to eat and drink before the festivities," he explained, and while his tone appeared to be emotionless and commanding, Kagome could hear the slight hint of anxiety in it. Worry was tight in his golden eyes as he appraised her training clothing. Unknown to Kagome, he was also taking in her blatant humanity. All that she was going to be fighting today was her exact opposite. It was carnal, demon, harsh, and hard; whereas, she was tame, human, gentle, and soft. He feared that the other fighters would take advantage of her tiny form, her human body, and her gentle nature. He didn't know if he could control his beast if she was hurt. He would not say he loved her, but he would readily admit to the discomfort her felt when she was in danger.

She watched all these emotions, thoughts, and worries play out in his eyes before she realized she needed to pull him away from them. They served neither of them any good and only proved to work the demon lord into a knot. The miko reached her hand up slowly and touched the stripes on his cheek gently. His molten eyes pierced her and speared her in place as she ran her fingers down his cheek and offered a small smile.

"Stop worrying, all will be fine," her smile grew, "Have a little confidence."

Sesshoumaru stared at her, at the strength in her eyes. After a few moments of silence, he made a small sound in the back of his throat and stepped out of her hand. Perhaps, she was correct and all would be well in the end. He offered a slight nod to her before turning and leaving as silently as he had come. Daiki turned curious eyes to his partner and took in the look of love shining in her eyes and the soft smile playing on her face.

"You love the lord," he said blatantly, his eyes wide with surprise. He had never expected this happy, exuberant, energetic young female to ever fall for something like his lord. Not that he didn't look up and admire Lord Sesshoumaru; he simply didn't think that Kagome would be attracted to his lord's cool attitude and sharp words.

'_Don't the ningen have a saying though, that opposites attract, or something of that nature,'_ he thought to himself, nodding at the thought as she turned to him with a bright blush as she tugged at the edge of her shirt, her blunt human teeth biting at her lower lip.

"Is it that obvious?" she whispered, as if she was talking about a private secret that no one was to know about. Daiki merely nodded and stared at her with his teal eyes that still shone with wonder.

"It's obvious that he loves you too," he said quietly after a moment of watching her. He grinned softly at her startled expression and held up a meaty hand to stop her from talking as her mouth parted. He shook his head and lowered his hand.

"I speak the truth, Kagome. I have known the lord since I was a very young youkai. He has never regarded one as he regards you. Friend, he let you touch him. The only people I ever witnessed touch him were his father, mother, and Rin. And as for his mother and father, it was only a handful of times that they were permitted to touch him," Daiki shook his head, "You are something _special _to him, Kagome. And do not push that reality away, or you may very well push him away with it." With that, the large demon walked past his partner and out of the dojo. He hoped that his words reached her.

Kagome stood, shocked by the words of her partner. She couldn't believe what he had said to her, how Sesshoumaru could love her. If he loved her, wouldn't he have told her? She felt the little moth of hope in her chest wilt at the doubt flooding her mind. She could feel the flood filling her chest, threatening to take her under and seal her away forever. She needed to push these feelings away. She needed to concentrate today. Taking a deep breath of the crisp winter air floating in through the door, Kagome steeled her resolve and walked out of the dojo she was so at home in.

….

Puppy ears twitched as leaves brushed against them. Inuyasha was seated high in a tree near the edge of the forest that bordered the herb gardens. His liquid gold eyes, more brown than his brother's, flickered here and there as he watched the careful movements of the woman below him. Her name was Akimi and she was a little sparrow demoness. Her orange-brown hair was tied into a high ponytail that swept over her shoulder when she bent down to pick vegetables. Her markings were deep brown, nearly black and her hazelnut eyes shone with wit and intelligence. She was gorgeous. She was the maid that had been assigned to care for his needs while he stayed in Nishi. He had hardly spoken two words to her, and both had been fumbled and ended in a blush.

Inuyasha's thoughts briefly wandered to Kikyou, but he did his best to ignore the guilt that they brought on. While he had promised himself to the former Shikon miko, she hadn't been herself lately. Granted, she hadn't been the way she used to in a long time, the change seemed most drastic as of late. She would leave and refuse to allow the half demon to follow in order to protect her. Her body, if possible, seemed even more cold and distant. Her usually dead eyes were filled with secrets and mystery that made a chill run down his spine and suspicious root itself deep in his chest. Secretly, he had been pleased when Kikyou had refused to enter the stronghold. He needed break from her ice and hate, from the dead look in her secret filled eyes and the cool touch of her hand in his, but most of all, from the love that she claimed to have. Inuyasha was not an idiot, he knew that the only feelings that Kikyou held were the former flames of her life, much more insignificant than they had been before. While yes, the hanyou still loved the clay woman, it was the same way that she loved him. By the tight threads of a promise and honor and by the shadow of love that was lost.

The white haired half demon shook the thoughts from his head; he didn't want to dwell on his lost first love. He wanted to summon the courage to talk to this feisty little thing below him. Taking one more breath for good luck, he fell near silently from the tall, proud oak tree and slowly approached the girl. As he got closer, he could hear her humming to herself quietly as she tugged stubborn carrots from the ground. He didn't utter a word as he knelt down near her and looked at the green tops of the plants she was pulling out. Seeing similar stalks sticking out of the ground around him, he silently began to pull them effortlessly from the ground and place them in the already half full basket. He could feel her curious eyes on him, appraising him with a smirk. He looked up at her with deep golden eyes and offered a small smile. She smiled back after a moment; a brow slightly raised and wonders dancing in her orbs. They continued like that for nearly an hour, moving down the rows of food and never speaking a word. Once they had finished pulling the last of the cucumbers from their vines, Inuyasha finally turned to look at her fully.

"My name is Inuyasha," he blurted out clumsily after an awkward moment of staring at her. She had freckles on the bridge of her nose. She was smiling at him and a clawed hand was extended toward his. He grasped it gently. Despite how soft it was, he could feel light calluses on the pads of her fingers. He found that he enjoyed it, knowing that she had worked for her share and done her part.

"My name is Akimi. It's nice to meet you, Lord Inuyasha," her voice sounded like a bird's song, but not as screechy. It flowed beautifully and the mischief from her smiles was laced into it. He growled lightly, he didn't like such formality from her lips.

"Inuyasha, just Inuyasha," he stated gruffly, his ears twitching. The demoness looked at them curiously before reaching a hand up to tweak one with the hand that wasn't being held. Inuyasha grunted pleasantly and grinned when she started to giggle. She stopped and started at him with wide trusting eyes and a bright smile. He felt his lips returning the smile and they were still holding hands. He didn't want to let her go. She didn't seem to object and merely held his hand tighter as she tugged him toward the back entrance to the kitchen. She had vegetables to deliver for supper and she wasn't going to let this adorable hanyou distract her. Inuyasha followed after her happily and while no more words were said on their walk to the kitchen, they were more than content with the silence. They were still holding hands.

…. 

Kagome was nervous. There was no denying that. The simple bread and fruits she had eaten was churning unhappily in her stomach and her hands were sweaty and shaking. Daiki stood next to her; her broad shouldered partner stiff as stone. His teal eyes glanced at her and spared her a smile, as if to tell her that she needed to calm down. Her face broke into a tight smile as she attempted to slow her heart rate. She clenched her hands into fists and tried to concentrate on what Sesshoumaru was saying from the raised dais he was standing on. His eyes were flickering around the crowd of soldiers, demons, maids, lords, ladies, and friends; every once in a while they were land on her for half a second before they skipped away.

"With that, I wish luck to all the competitors here today and hope for a good day of battle. Let the tournament commence," Sesshoumaru finished with a raised goblet. Everyone in the crowd took a drink and cheered, as the competitors stood stiff as stone and watched the referee pull slips of parchment from a large cup.

With held breath, Kagome listened as the referee unrolled the tiny slip of paper and cleared his throat quietly.

"I would like to remind the referees and the lords and ladies here today that this is merely a preliminary round for our competitors. After this, they will be repaired and fight the first round of the ceremony tournament."

Hi voice was loud, powerful; and it demanded respect. Kagome found it tightening her nerves as he cleared his throat and peered at the small strip of paper.

"The first two teams will be the West versus East." The cheering was quiet, polite; reflecting the people and demons clapping. Kagome's muscles were on automatic, her feet carrying her to the stairs of the platform without much conscious though. Daiki had a large hand resting on her shoulder as he guided her to where she needed to stand to face the enemy. It was two wolves, their grins pointed and their eyes playful. The miko's eyes watched them wearily, a little bit bummed that she was going to have to fight Kouga's men right away. She knew that she couldn't go easy on them, though. She had told Hiyashi and Sesshoumaru that she would fight for the honor of the West. And she would.

The referee had them bow to each other and step five paces back. Kagome obeyed and fell easily into her stance. Her arms tucked tight into her body to protect her core from any attacks. She could lose an arm in a fight, or even a leg, but a hit to her soft underbelly could kill her. Shuddering at the mere idea, she tried to concentrate on the two demons in front of her. They were bouncing on the tips of their toes around each other, a strange dance that confused Kagome quietly. They were going faster and faster, her eyes losing track of them as they tiptoed around each other. Recalling Daiki telling her to follow them with her energy, she closed her eyes for a split second and got a taste of their unique energies. Natural, woody, as if she was in the forest, she almost grinned at how much the mere flavor reminded her to her short times in the wolves' caves. Blinking her blue eyes, she watched as the wolf in front of her disappeared from her view. Twisting, she grimaced when she felt claws graze her arm and easily tear her samue top and the first layer of skin on her arms.

'_I need to be faster,'_ she chastised as she turned swiftly around Daiki as the wolf danced behind his partner. The miko and inu stood back to back as they watched the wolves bounce. Daiki, usually the ever patient tree, growled low in his throat and lunged at one of them with a snarl. Kagome followed his example, jumping at the wolf that wasn't being attacked by Daiki. The ookami grinned at her, feral and nasty, as he swung out a hand, claws glinting in the winter sun. Kagome ducked low, feeling the hand swipe through her hair. Wincing when it tugged the sensitive strands, she threw out a punch and connected with the side of her opponent's knee. The demon buckled slightly, the shock from the blow making his balance teeter. The miko took the opportunity to straighten her posture and toss two more punches and a kick at the demon. All three landed home, hitting solid in the demon's mouth and stomach. He was growling now, the playful nature gone. A dangerous flash entered his eyes and Kagome felt the fear settle in her stomach for a moment before she steeled herself and jumped back. The youkai was no longer playing; he lunged at her immediately and wrapped his claws tightly around her forearm. Kagome winced at the pressure, the claws piercing her arm, the feral look in her opponent's eyes. The fear was once again a strong stone in her stomach, wearing her down and making her heavy and slow. The demon saw this, the look of fear and dread in her eyes and a mocking sneer split his face.

Suddenly, she felt herself be lifted into the air. Her arm was twisted at a strange angle, caught between uncomfortable and unbelievably painful. Kagome tried to right herself, her center of gravity changed and her mind demanding that she right it. She turned and threw a leg out, hoping to hit her attacker. Her foot found purchase, a deep grunt coming from somewhere below and a snarl following it. She was falling now; no, being pulled sharply through the air. The breath rushed out of her as her back hit the ground, her spine cracking and reflex tears pricking the corner of her eyes. She could hear Daiki growling from her right, and the body of a wolf flew over her vision. It landed with a thud farther away from her, and only when it hit the ground did Kagome started to struggle her way to her feet.

"We're going about this the wrong way," she grunted as she put a hand on her back, probing it carefully to make sure that it wasn't damaged too bad. Finding that it was okay, Kagome straightened slowly and stood beside her partner as they watched the wolves hold each other. There was a silent conversation between them, one that Daiki and Kagome were completely unprepared to understand. So, the two watched as the two debated. The dark haired miko turned and looked at her partner with serious eyes.

"We need to work as a team. Trying to take them on separately isn't working," she said, touching her back again. She could see out of the corner of her eye, the wolves were getting up and preparing to fight again. She didn't wait for Daiki's answer. Immediate, she ducked around Daiki's back and knelt so that her head was just below the small of his back. The wolves were moving she could see their legs dancing toward her heavy partner's body. She could feel him tense and glanced up at him as he threw a look over his shoulder at her. She offered a half smile and mouthed 'trust me' before she broke the eye contact and concentrated back on the wolves moving.

"Ready?" she whispered, no waiting for a response. She grabbed the youkai's shoulder, feeling them contract under the shock of her weight, and launched herself over her partner. The ookami watched in awe, their movements halted and still. Kagome knew that she didn't have a lot of time to think or even appreciate their shock. She hit the ground with a quiet thud and pounced forward at them, they were still frozen. She channeled her powers easily into her hands and pushed them forward, sending them flying at her opponents. The wolves didn't know what to do, didn't do anything. They flew through the air, almost in slow motion. It was completely silence when they hit the ground beside the dais.

Then chaos, the entire Western army was cheering and screaming. Claps and cheers and every sound that could be made spread through the crowd of people. Uncontainable glee ran through Kagome, her whole body alive and charged with power and pride. A bright, electric smile split her face and she turned to Daiki with bright eyes and a cheerful smile as she threw her body into his. They crashed into each other like a twig and a large tree. He wrapped his large arms around her waist and held her tiny body off the ground.

"You did it! We did it, I'm so proud!" he was crowing in her ear as she strained to wrap her arms around him in return. Her smile falter for a moment before it became a little sarcastic.

"Too bad this is just the preliminary."

Daiki rolled his eyes at her when he set her down and patted her back. "Don't get so down, little one. We have a break now; it's time to watch our opponents."

Kagome nodded slowly as she let herself be led back to her seat. Between rounds, the fighters were allowed to sit with their respective armies and discuss strategies that worked and what the teams needed to work on during the next rounds. Kagome was excited to sit down, her mind conjured images of sitting next to Sesshoumaru and sleeping through the next round. The miko knew that Daiki wouldn't allow that though, he would want to talk about strategy and make sure that she watched the fighters. The miko sighed heavily and let herself be led to Sesshoumaru. The demon lord's face was carefully composed, but she could see the glint of pride in his citrine eyes. Plopping down next to him, she stretched out her sore muscles and tired to relax for a moment before the critiquing came.

"You did well," he said with a low voice. She could hear that he was pleased and it brought a smile to his face.

"Thank you, I'm glad I was able to please _my lord_," she said, her tone teasing and her grin easy. His lips twitched in return but he squashed down the urge to smile at her. He was amongst his army and it was not appropriate. She saw the struggle in his eyes and reached out to take his hand. Holding it for a brief moment, she squeezed it gently before releasing her hand and sitting back. It was time to watch her future opponents fight.

Time went by quickly, the North crushing the South quickly and efficiently. Kagome was silent in her seat next to Sesshoumaru, watching with keen, calculative eyes as she watched the cats of the north dominated the hot headed dragons of the south. Unlike their Lady, the Southern fighters were high tempered and reckless. Stealing a glance at the group of elegant dragons seated a few hundred yards away from her, the young miko watched as the serpent queen fanned leisurely, her perfect tendrils of hair dancing in the light breeze. She didn't seem to care that her team was soundly defeated or that they were walked back toward their seats with oddly pleased looks on their faces. Kagome narrowed her eyes at their sleek hair and dark scales; something didn't seem right to her about any of this. Shaking her head and turning back to clap politely at the North's victory. A small part of her was very glad that the south was not her opponent in the next round. A piece of her brain was confident that the east would destroy the south and they would be her opponents in the end. It made sense that way, and Kagome wanted to believe it, but those proud smiles on their faces made her nervous and her stomach clenched unhappily. Her lips were just turning down when a claw tapped her hand gently. Turning her head swiftly, she looked at Sesshoumaru with bright eyes and slightly parted lips.

"What? Is something wrong?" her head swiveled around again, searching for the threat or the enemy. Her aura swept over the area quickly, seeking for anything that could harm her or the people around her. When she was sure that all was safe, despite the murky aura radiating from the south, she turned confused eyes to Sesshoumaru. He was looking at her, his eyes sharp. She wiggled under their scrutiny, feeling like he could see straight into her soul. His lips were a hard line, harder than usual, and Kagome sought to soften that look. She reached up to touch his cheek, but stopped halfway when she remembered where they were and who was with them. Her small hand fell back into her lap uselessly and a desperate, frustrated look seeped into her eyes. Sesshoumaru watched this, and, sensing her rising anger, covered her tiny hand in his.

"What is wrong?" his voice was quiet, and blank. Kagome felt her ire rise at this. She didn't want this man, this demon who was silent and rigid. She didn't want this dispassionate, silent man right now. She wanted the little flickers of warmth, she wanted times when the mask fell and he would be willing to hold her and comforter her. She wanted the lord that held her at night when she couldn't sleep. Hot, unwanted tears filled her eyes and she roughly wiped the away, the bandages on her fingers soaking them up quickly. Sesshoumaru didn't understand what was going on. Her emotions were moving around almost too quickly to follow and now briny tears were filling her eyes and soaking her bandages. He yearned to bring her to him; he wanted to comfort whatever this emotion that was hurting her. He knew, though, that he couldn't do that. His army was here, his people were here, and the other lords were here. It was inappropriate to do so with them here. He wanted to tell her that, but she should know that. She had seen the way he was when in the castle, the only place where the wall dropped was in his room. And this was far from his room.

Understanding slipped into his eyes and the inu lord was about to relax when fury and pain flooded her ocean eyes and her hand was suddenly gone from under his. A single tear dripped down her cheek and she let this one fall. Sesshoumaru watched it only for a moment before he reached out a claw tipped finger to wipe it away. He was shocked when she slapped it away, a sneer building on her lips and rage storming in her eyes.

"Don't," she spit, "Someone might see you."

He almost wanted to flinch at the venom in her voice. Almost. His eyes steeled though and a growl built in the back of this throat, his inner beast demanded for her to submit and be punished for hitting him. He locked the beast away tightly, knowing that such confrontation would not only embarrass him, but also upset the miko further. That left him with a conundrum though. What was he supposed to do to fix this? He knew that she couldn't fight in such a state. Her emotions would become too much and she would blame him for a loss. He didn't want that. So, he simply watched as she settle away from him, their legs no longer touched and her eyes still shimmered with unshed tears. Settling back, with guilt rolling in his stomach, he turned toward the referee as he spoke.

"The next rounds are as follows," he said, his voice booming and final, "The North versus the West with the East versus the South. The north and west will fight first."

Kagome rose immediately and a few drops from her eyes freckled his pants near his knee. He looked up at her and for a moment, her eyes met his and her scorn touched him at its hottest. Then, without his mind's permission, his body rose to tower over her and he touched her cheek with a gentle hand. Her tears slid under his slightly calloused finger tip and his more instinctual side wanted him to lick it away. He looked at her though and watched as the anger slipped from her eyes and she smiled softly.

"Be strong," he murmured, assured that he and she would be the only ones to hear the warm words. She nodded against his hand and drew away from him, Daiki by her side with an excited grin on his face.

"Are you ready, Kagome?" the young inu whispered, anticipation making his voice rise and hands shake. Kagome's lips were still curved in a smile and a determined light lit her eyes as she nodded.

"More than ready," she whispered back as they ascended the stairs of the dais.

The cats were even more deadly than the wolves, and twice as playful. They toyed and teased for much of the battle, striking and then withdrawing to dance and pounce around the ring. Kagome quickly became frustrated, Daiki not far behind her, and they knew that the neko were trying to tease them and tire them out. Realizing that the battle needed to end soon, they upped the ferocity of the battle and soon, the pair of mischief makers were flat on their backs, defeated. The crowd once again roared and Kagome felt pride surge through her. They were in the semi-finals, which was farther than she hoped to get. While she was completely confident in her own ability, she was realist as well. Against youkai, she could only hope to get so far. More than pleased with their progress, Kagome carefully limped down the stairs of the stage with Daiki supporting half her weight. Her leg ached where it had slammed against the floor of the dais after falling for one of the neko's traps. She still shook her head at the foolishness; she should have been smarter about attacking them. It was too late for regrets now, though, and besides, they had won. Another smile split her face as she allowed Daiki to settle her down next to Sesshoumaru, whose face was cold but whose eyes were twisted in displeasure. She smiled sheepishly at him as she rested against the cushions spread out around her and grunted in pain.

"You were foolish," he muttered, though the usual distain was absent behind it. Kagome smiled at him a little wider and nodded her head as she adjusted and leaned further into the pillows to watch the next fight. Sesshoumaru looked at her pointedly before turning her attentions back to her leg and prodded it gently to see where it hurt and what the extent of the damage was. Kagome watched him attentively, her heart warming at the sight of him taking care of her. Even if it was in his own weird way. With a nod, showing that he was satisfied with his examination, he straightened slightly and looked at her.

"There is no permanent damage, although this Sesshoumaru suggests you heal that before your next fight. It will impair your ability to competently fight and this Sesshoumaru will not have you fighting when you are not at your best."

Kagome smiled and nodded at him. Sitting up slightly, she wrapped the injured part of her leg with her hands and allowed her power to channel into her flesh and heal the bruised muscle there. Once she was done, she pressed her fingers into her leg gently and nodded approvingly when there was no pain. Sitting back again, she sighed happily and settled in to watch the next battle.

It was nothing and everything that she had expected. After watching the last fight with the South, every person in the crowd had expected the South to get throttled. Kagome had gotten a strange feeling from their attitudes after the fight though, and she had been right. The South had summoned some unknown strength from above and destroyed the East thoroughly and completely in less than ten minutes. The wolves had needed assistance to get off the dais and the crowd was completely silent for an awkward moment before the expected, subdued applause spread through the arena.

Kagome watched, with wide eyes and a slight pinch of terror, as the South descended the steps and returned to their place with their queen. It slowly sunk in that these beasts were what she was to face in the next round. And next time, it would be alone. Unease, terror, trepidation, all the feelings of nervous fright filled her for a moment and her heart stopped as she imagined the horror they could wreak on her body. And in another moment, it was gone and confidence filled her as she turned herself to Sesshoumaru and let him see all of that insecurity. His eyes bore into hers and she could feel him looking down into her soul and seeing all the fear there. His gaze hardened and a hand reached up to touch her cheek gently.

"You will do fine, Kagome. You are strong and you are proud," he muttered with a gentle voice that had the least bit of warmth seeping into it. Nodding slowly, Kagome rose slowly from her seat as he announcer called her name and the name of the dragon, Genji. She watched as the dais was split into two and the two halves were pushed ten feet apart from one and other. This was so she and Daiki could fight at the same time but not as a team. It meant that not only was she on her own, but she had half the space to fight with. Her heart beat once painfully hard before she gulped down a breath and forced herself to calm down. This was just another fight, with just another opponent. She could do this.

She had to do this.

…

Inuyasha squeezed Akimi's hand one last time with a small smile before he turned and left the infirmary. He had heard the horn sound for the final fight a few moments ago and knew that he needed to be there for Kagome, even if he was uncomfortable among his brother's army and court. Walking down the path to the crowd, he weaved his way through people carefully before he settle down beside his brother, watching as Kagome, who was covered in sweat and obviously exhausted, stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited for the dais to once again become whole. He glanced at his brother and smirked at the pinched look on his brother's usually smooth face.

"How is she doing?"

Sesshoumaru returned the glance before grunting quietly.

"She is tired and this Sesshoumaru believes that one of her ribs may be broken, but she is doing well. I am weary, however of this next battle. The south has proven to be conniving and tricky and I fear for her safety." He didn't know why he was telling his half brother this, but he felt that the halfling would understand his worry, after spending so much time in the miko's company. Inuyasha nodded as he watched her take her first step up the stairs, a hand holding her side carefully. Sesshoumaru watched too, eyes keen and sharp with concern and disapproval. Inuyasha smirked at the look and was surprised to realize that his cold hearted brother really did care about little miko about to fight. A pang of jealousy ran through his chest when he noticed Kagome looking to Sesshoumaru and smiling. Not too long ago, that smile could have been for him. He shook his head against the thought though and pushed it far from his mind. He had lost his chance with the girl from the future and he would have to accept that. She had, against all odds, fallen for his bastard half brother and there was nothing he could do to change it. Pushing the thoughts away, he let his eyes sweep over the crowd and took in all the faces of the people looking at the fighters. Koga was watching intently, Ayame holding his hand tightly as she stared with bright green eyes as well. Sango and Miroku sitting next to each other and leaning toward the stage with anticipation shining in their eyes. He looked around at faces he didn't recognized, all their eyes trained on the middle of the arena while silence captured the crowd and they waited with baited breath for the fight to begin. Making the full loop around the arena, he looked once again at Sesshoumaru, whose eyes were the most bright and attentive. Finally, he looked at Kagome and silently will her to win.

Beside him, Sesshoumaru stared at the little miko that had gotten so close to him with tightness in his chest. This emotion that had been afflicting him for days was starting to become more and more familiar and as he stared at the girl, he realized what it was. It was the side effects of affection for the girl. Without his even realizing it, she had wormed her way through his icy exterior to rest in his previously still heart and warmed it slightly. While the thought was unsettling, considering she had done it without his even noticing, it was also almost comforting. For a long time, he had believed that none could, or would have the patience to try to, get close to him. Rin did not count, for she was a child and it was basic pack instinct to want to protect and care for her. She was an orphan and inus were pack creatures, her helplessness called to his instinctual, more caring side. While he was usually a solitary creature, he could not ignore his need, or basic desire, for the company of pack. Thus he had Jaken and Rin, along with Ah-Uhn. And that had been enough. Until this little drop of a woman had come into his life and changed the entire order of his life.

'_This is okay though,'_ he decided, suddenly as he watched her stretch and prepare for the fight. She was strong. She was motherly, from everything he had seen from her caring for the rest of his pack. And she had the same affections for him; he had seen this for himself.

'_Take her, take her," _his beast chanted happily in the back of his mind, pleased with this turn of events. Sesshoumaru chose to ignore the best and concentrate on the miko as the horn sounded again. He would address these feelings for the girl later. Now, he needed to watch the miko fight.

…

Kagome's heart was beating in her ears and her stomach clenching tightly. She stepped forward and touched fists with her opponent before taking three steps back and dropping into a crouch.

It was time for the fight to begin.

A/N: I am SO sorry for taking so long to write this. Honestly, it was going to also have the battle and the celebration afterwards but I knew I needed to post something so I split the chapter in half. I hope you enjoy this and please review with friendly criticism. Also, sorry for the cliffhanger, but the next chapter is going to be really shocking (in a good way). Until then, enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

Her heart was beating so fast that it hurt and her arms were numb with pain. One of them dangled uselessly at her side, it tingled painfully and when she moved it felt like a noodle, while she held the right up defensively. Blood was running from her forehead and getting into her eyes, making it hard to see. Grunting impatiently, she wiped her good hand over her eyes to get the blood from them and tried to focus on the enemy that was swaying in front of her. Or maybe she was swaying, she couldn't tell. She was too tired to tell.

The fight had been going on for three hours and while both were exhausted and in pain, neither was near giving up. Currently, both were slumped on opposite sides of the fighting stage, catching their breath and trying to decide how best to succeed. Her opponent was the smaller, much quieter of the dragon team. His name was Kazue and everything but merciful. He had been tricky, pulling moves that were borderline illegal, such as throwing her high into the air and letting her dent the stage, which resulted in the gash on her forehead that was currently near blinding her. She had known from the beginning that the dragons were sly and needed to be watched, but she had never expected that kind of behavior. Coughing once, wincing at the pain it ignited in her side, she forced herself to straighten and inch toward her opponent. He stepped forward as well, his own body moving fluidly while she jerked around the jabs and points he aimed at her soft belly and aching sides. Dodging around a well placed punch; she looked up into his dark eyes and saw the furious desperation shining in them. Only then did she realize what this battle really meant for her young opponent. The lady of the South was a vicious woman if her instincts told her anything and the life of this dragon may very well ride on the outcome of this battle. Pushing the depressing thoughts from her mind, she steeled her determination and swung a fist back at the dragon, catching him by surprising and sending him stumbling back. There was a single whoop from Inuyasha in the crowd and a crass comment she didn't hear but she smiled none the less. It was nice to be reminded that she had support.

Jumping back, she ducked from a kick and threw him off balance with a sweep of her leg. They were tiring, they were losing steam, and this fight needed to end now. It was now or never. Jumping back once, she pushed off the floor the minute her feet touched it and, catching him off guard, took advantage of his surprise and slammed a fist into his cheek. His hands came up instinctually and wrapped tightly around her arm. She could feel his youkai rising to protect him, even as he lost consciousness. Realizing a second too late that she needed to get away from him, she could do little more than gasp before a wretched scream as her arm was twisted sharply in opposite directions by each hand and the bones beneath the skin were crushed and mangled. Soft keening continued to pour and tumble out of her mouth as the beast released her arm and allowed her to stumble back. One of her arms was completely useless now while the other felt like a flimsy noodles. Tears streamed down her face and she, for a split second, thought about forfeiting. Then she remembered the looks on the court faces when she had arrived. The suspicion, the mockery, and the laughter in their eyes as they stared at her plain mortality. No, there was no giving up in this fight. It was either knock out or death for one of them and that was the only way that this fight was ending.

Lifting her eyes, she stared into the lost, blank green eyes of the beast in front of her and she knew what she needed to do. She hadn't used her spiritual powers too much up until now. She wanted to fight with her own strength, not the added help of her powers. Her opponents had only used their born strength and none of their powers, why should she use hers? Her opponent called on the power of his demon though, so it was more than fair that she use her own powers. Struggling to her feet with her less injured left arm, she swayed a little on her feet and tried to concentrate on her enemy. She was frightened by the feral smirk on his face and the promise of pain in his eyes but she squashed those feelings easily and concentrated on her plan. He was sliding in front of her, moving side to side quickly, almost too quickly to see, and it was making Kagome dizzy. She needed to hurry before he hypnotized her into a state of non-threat. Gathering her reiki around her, she concentrated on letting it fill her body and pool in her hands. This needed to be well aimed and precise if she wanted to finish this with one blow. Ducking under swiping claws, she pushed herself forward and did the last thing anyone expected her to do. She wrapped her arms around Kazue's abdomen tightly and clung there in a tight hug. Her arms were screaming. Her better arm was hooked tightly around her mangled one and both hands were clutching tightly around the smooth fabric of his top.

Throughout the battle, she had ignored the sounds and cheers from the crowd; however, now that they were silent it was glaringly obvious how loud it had been. The silence was eerie and she pleaded someone to make a noise. No one did though and Kagome gave up hoping they would. She needed to focus.

She had successfully surprised her opponent, he was frozen in front of her and regaining his composure quickly. Claws dug deep into her shoulders and pushed against her hard. Her toes dug into her sandals and her sandals slipped against floor. His youki was thrashing around her in pure fury and it hurt where her reiki touched it. Every bit of him was pushing her away. She needed to hurry. Steeling her strength and praying that this worked, she squeezed her eyes shut and pushed every bit of her reiki out of her and wrapped it around his body, forcing his youki down and destroying it. It only lasted a few seconds, but that was enough to blow the two away from each other and have her roll half way across the stage. Lying on her back, she turned her head to watch Kazue fall to his knees, his body shimmering pink and charred lightly all over. He wasn't dead; she had made sure of that. She wasn't out to kill anyone in this fighting, she just wanted to win. She wanted to prove herself. The announcer was ascending the steps and she knew that if she didn't get to her feet, it was going to be called a tie. She could hear his voice in the background of her head and groaned inwardly. Rolling over onto her stomach, she winced at the pain she expected in her arms. It was less than a pain though, more of an ache. Her shoulders were sore to the bone, but she didn't feel any of the stings of claw punctures. Chalking it up to fast healing from the massive amount of reiki she expelled, she thanked the Kami that she was okay and rose shakily to her feet. The hush this time was even sharper. Then…

An explosion of noise, sound, and sight, people were cheering and screaming and calling her name loudly from all sides of her. The western army had flooded onto the stage and was holding her up high, shaking her and patting her back heavily. Looking back, she caught a glimpse of Kazue's partner, Genji, assisting him carefully down the steps and toward the South, where she could see his queen seething with anger. Kagome looked away, not wanting to see this. Instead, she concentrated on Sesshoumaru's silver hair coming toward her through the crowd. The army set her down slowly, all smiling knowingly at the strange pair in front of them. They could all see the affection that had bloomed between their lord and the strange little woman in front of them. It was quite entertaining to watch as they interacted around the castle and this time would be no different.

Kagome smiled tiredly at the man in front of her, his eyes glowing gold with pride and appreciation.

"You have represented the strength and pride of the West very well, little miko," he murmured with the slightest hint of a smile. He could see the exhaustion in her form and face, she was slouching with shaking knees and her eyes were struggling to stay open.

"Come, miko, you must rest. Later tonight, we will celebrate the victory of the west." Kagome couldn't agree fast enough, even though she wasn't sure she'd be able to make it to her room on her own. Luckily, Sesshoumaru offered an arm to her and she half collapsed onto it as she trudged toward the castle. She was tired, there was no doubt. The adrenaline was filtering out of her body and it left her muscle feeling like jelly and her body aching. Even with the loud sounds of a win still raging around her, she felt herself drifting to sleep with Sesshoumaru next to her. Black danced on her vision and she could felt the world tipping forward slowly. Her legs were gone though and her arms were stiff, in the back of her mind she wondered if she'd hit the ground.

The ground never came.

Sesshoumaru's arm wrapped around her quickly, holding her tightly and supporting her weight easily. A ripple of fear shot through him at her sudden fainting. He examined her with eyes and nose quickly, checking for her blood loss and any external or internal wounds that would have resulted in this. Finding none, he decided that, perhaps, she was simply exhausted from the amount of spiritual energy she had needed to use to defeat her opponent. Which remind him, why had she waited so long to use her reiki powers? She could have ended the battle much sooner had she simply used her powers from the beginning. Filing the question away to ask her when she awoke, he settled her into arm, nestled against his chest, and took her to rest.

It took only a second to appear in her room. Pushing the sheets away with the toe of his boot, he faltered in setting her down. Her bed smelt cool and stale; she hadn't slept in it for some time. Perhaps leaving her here was a bad idea, she had been sleeping with his person for so long that sleeping here may result in discomfort. Nodding at his own logic, he swiftly moved from her room to his through the adjoining door and laid her easily in their shared bed. Her tiny fingers clung to his top and he had to carefully pry them off as he stood. She mumbled under her breath and reached out to grab onto something. Grabbing a stray cushion, he set it gently in her arms. Immediately, the miko wrapped her arms around the plush material and crushed it to her chest. He smiled a tiny smile, his eyes lingering on her for a few extra seconds. Tearing himself from her, he left the room in a flurry of white and red. He had a celebration to start and a victory to celebrate.

…

A/N: Sorry that this took so long to write and update. I hit major writers block and then had college applications and school to deal with. I know that this chapter is short, but the next will be much longer and it's when the drama begins. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this and the rest of the story!


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